talkin bout my day

I woke up feeling a lot better, finally very little traces of sickness. This is how my day went-
After a shower and a delicious egg breakfast made by my lovely, unbelievably sweet wife (she's feeling much better in the mornings now but still rough at night). I headed out to the choir practice, P. Matti has a new vision to sing once a week in a Catholic church on one of the busiest avenues of Istanbul called Istiklal Caddesi, where a great number of inquisitive turks come by to visit throughout the day. Father Ruben gave us permission to sing in his church once a week. After the choir practice, we had our worship team practice for the night service. And then headed over to the local print shop which gave birth to our long awaited bi-lingual expandable song books, as we are constantly translating new songs into Turkish and adding them to our repertoire, stopped by a friends paper shop (whom I have invited to many events, but he has not been able to come as he works many hours like many turks in Istanbul) to pick up the covers and headed home for an hour of silence and bible study, and some rest with Sarah. I grabbed a chicken sandwhich and headed out in the wet evening to gather with the saints in our prescious little office building! The worship team put the song books together and it was already time for service. It was a small group, which is rather an exception in these days of growth. The message was about the presciousness of our lives and individuality before God! - our freedom of choice that really defines our humanity. "You will be you forever!" A quote from P. Schaller on grace hour sparked the continuation of this message from last nights bible school class.
I led the worship service with the awesome team- a nigerian drummer, and assistant songleader, and three girls from azerbaijan and uzbekistan. Then played guitar for the offering, and got back up to share an introduction on making time to be quiet with God :) - Gabriel a Ghanian who was recently saved on outreach at the Catholic church (now in Bible School) wanted to walk home with me after the service. He spoke the whole way about things God has been "saying" to him. I listened in amazement and with great joy. It made me think about many friends in Ghana- and their simple hearts of faith that leads to profound truth.
And just as I am finishing this entry I received a SMS from Faruk- I met him the second day we arrived in Turkey, and have been investing in him since. Looking forward to the day when he'll make the best decision of his life!

Faruk: "Hey, can u say the thing about love which is from bible. You know it is valentin s day tomorrow. What was the page number?"

Jediah: "Yes look for 1 Corinthians - chapter 13 Isn't the bible the best love story ever! happy valentines day"

Faruk: ":) great ! thank u so much. Happy valentines day too

scuba diving - notes from abd class

When you take someone scuba diving for the first time, they might flip out. "Once you're so deep down what do you do as an instructor?" (p schaller asking Ismo) "You grab their hands firmly and look at them intently in the eyes, never loosing eye contact. Slowly they calm down under the influence of your confidence."
And to look at the face of God - so much better than Moses who only saw the 'after glow'.
He's ever looking, quietly ministring.

Please Keep Praying...

The devil is after our health... I woke up this morning as if I had gotten sick all over again.
It's so interesting, as P. Matti says, because it's right at the threshold of great things God is doing through us here in Turkey. The music ministry is taking off, so much joy, freshness, peace, ect... and so many other things. Okay, thanks YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS! Sarah has still not caught what I have and that's a miracle since we lie in the same bed nearly all day.
jedi

Thanks for the prayers!!!

Yesterday Sarah and I suddenly felt better after what had been the worst day prior to that. We nearly lost our marbles, then like a breath of fresh wind, we knew people were praying for us. Sarah wasn't nauscious all day, and I felt much better. We are still struggling with both a cold and the nausea so please keep our health in prayer!

I really felt like we were at the end of our capacity to be here, once again. But then I cried out and said God if you want us to stay here in Turkey than you need to make both of us feel better immediately. It's funny, but he did just that the next day. I seriously was already making plans to come home. Then He spoke and I realized once again he had a great purpose in our sickness. He is teaching us absolute Grace, where we can't do anything but God gets all the glory. I am so happy to be here in Turkey. It's not a place I feel or ever felt called to, but I understand that God has placed us here for such a time as this, to do something here, but especially to do something in us. I couldn't help but think of the apostle Paul and his 14 years after he was saved where God was working in him and not yet through him. Yes God is working through us but honestly the greatest work is what's taking place in my heart and mind.

Jedi D.

Need your prayers!

Hello friends, we need your prayers especially these days. Sarah has "morning sickness" it's actually all day and night sickness- very challenging. She's been in bed for the past two weeks. Today I am very sick with some kind of flu - I've been in bed all day too. Please pray that Sarah won't get sick with whatever I have on top of being pregnant. In spite of the challenges, we are staying very encouraged with the body life here, and listening to messages from Baltimore.

IBI - Istanbul Bible Institute, started up again last week with a full load of classes- 15 credits, and many students: 2 Nigerian disciples - Cliff and Shelter who sing and play drums for our worship services! 2 Sisters from Iran- Tannaz and Sheila who have been with us since the first conference in 2003. A turkish Pastor from another church and his two friends who long for deeper doctrine and attend all the classes. Yves- our faithful French/Swiss/Cypriot friend who is loving the word of God and also teaching us Turkish twice a week. Gabriel - a new friend from outreach, who hasn't missed a thing since P. Julian met him three weeks ago. Miriam - our dear fellow missionary with another ministry, she translates Niyazi's class from Turkish to English. Fanny - from France who is here for 5 weeks, progressing in her English acquisition. Many Turkish visitors - who come as they please. And 12 Team Members make the Istanbul Bible Institute quite a notable event!

Please pray also for the plans for Euro-Con. That many who would like to go from here would be able to.
Jediah

A NEW HEART - with a New Vision

Yesterday we had our first doctor's appointment and we were able to confirm that there is indeed a little alien in our midst! :) As if all the puking, nausea, and tiredness had not already confirmed it... There's nothing like seeing that little shrimp on the screen, and hearing the heart beat for the first time. Sarah said it sounded like a night-club in there (we'll have to educate him/her in healthy music listening habits early on). This little beating heart, reminds us of how we need to daily nurture this New Heart of Faith that God has placed within us.

Ezekiel 36:26-29
A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them.
And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
I will also save you from all your uncleannesses, and I will call forth the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine on you.

And a New Vision - We are meditating daily on the imporatance of continuing in the new vision from God! Our old hearts have "hardening of the Categories" but our new heart if pumping with the vision and burning from God! We can easily think of ourselves in very hard ways, and think we are useless, and unloved, but God is thinking so much greater. Let's allow Him to stir His New Vision within our New Heart!

Jediah

faith that works by love

Hello to all you faithful readers, and friends around the globe. We miss you, and are thinking of you today. I am thankful to God for you... as I share my heart with you.

Faith that works by love...
It's amazing how much sense our faith makes as we continue with God by faith! It's so amazing often that we are tempted out of excitement to throw it all on a young inquirer without any thought to his person, and if he can bare what will be said. I had just such an experience today and it broke my heart when I realized the situation. I frankly apologized and tried to recover what was important, and minister to this precious one where he was at. I thought I did a terrible job, but as we approached our point of departure, he spoke. "There is something that I really appreciate about Christianity.' he said 'The openness that you have with others. I think you can call it the love of Jesus, or openness and we don't have that in other religions and cultures. I also saw that in my mother who was a christian."
I was touched, and I responded, "I think you saw what I wanted most to tell you but could not communicate with arguments, It's the love of Jesus that changed my life."

Think of who God has placed in your path, they are most definately there to be loved. The gentleness of the Holy Spirit will give the gift of faith bound-up in love. We can see that faith is motivated by love!

Please pray for my dear friend and me, His name is Tomo. He walked from Switzerland to Istanbul this past year, and he may be staying with us for a bit before continuing on his journey. I am praying he will find something with us and perhaps begin a different kind of journey.
It's great to write after such a long time. I plan to write often.
God's power is in Prayer!
Jediah

DID YOU HEAR...

... THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY?!!
(sometime in September)We appreciate your prayers for perfect guidance for the exciting and scarry upcoming months! :)

poem written by P. Mechti Suleyman

Because of love there’s hope for man
Because of love he smiles again
His life has purpose to fulfill
He now can pray and care and build

He is no more afraid to die
He sees God’s face unvailed with smile
He realizes he is loved
He’s friend to Christ, he’s son to God

He now is thankful for the Cross
God has forknown him, this he knows
Christ has provided all he needs
God covers him on earth and leads

God’s life has now replaced man’s dark
Christ’s resurrection makes him walk
Now he has power from above
Now he’s endued with caring love

He’s wisdom now that comes from love
He can be patient and up front
Enjoys he quietness a lot
But when he speaks - God can be heard

Christ came for me to give me life
That would be different from mine
Words can’t depict my inner bliss
My soul is thriving – I’m released

Moreover, Christ has promised me
To lead me on and never leave
I am secure, I’m fulfilled
In God my life with Christ is hid

God’s love is warm inside my soul
The Holy Spirit’s gentle so
He sheds Christ’s love within my heart
He feeds me doctrine from above

I set my mind on things above
Discovering unfading love
I gaze into the Word of Christ
His righteousness does make me wise

My heart is ruled by Finished Work
My mind considers Christ enthroned
Convictions fill my conscience out
Emotions mine are healthy, stout

When You abode alone on high
Back then You had me on Your mind!
You couldn’t live detached from me
You died so I am now redeemed.

you asked for more comments Rachael? here is one just for you

what is your email address? jeds_tanguaygirl@hotmail.com