HOPE STANDS: Turkish Earthquake Relief
Through a matching grant, FMI’s HOPE STANDS campaign aims to raise $100,000 to provide the resources our partners on the ground urgently need in the coming months. Every dollar donated through HOPE STANDS gets doubled, up to $50,000, through the end of May 2023.
The February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye killed 50,000 people, destroyed 140,000 square miles, and displaced 2.7 million people. Led by FMI’s indigenous disciple-makers, the small but remarkable Christian community in the country has been providing relief by setting up insulated temporary shelters, serving meals, providing school supplies and tools to help children deal with the trauma, etc., as they reflect the hope and compassion of Jesus Christ to their countrymen in crisis.
Stories from the Field:
Life had been growing in Meltem’s womb for several months, but then death and destruction surrounded her. The pregnant woman’s apartment building violently collapsed in the dark, early morning hours of February 6. The first quake measured 7.8 on the seismic magnitude scale.The next one, later that day, measured 7.7. Ten thousand aftershocks followed in the next three weeks and the debris left in their wake covered140,000 square miles and killed more than 50,000 people. Both Meltem and her unborn baby survived, but were now homeless. She made her way to the capital of Ankara, since that city was still intact, hoping to find emergency assistance there. What Meltem discovered was new life in Jesus Christ. There are only a few churches in the city, but their reputation for reflecting Christ’s compassion is remarkable. One family from Pastor Izzet’s congregation opened their hearts and their home to Meltem. “Stay here with us for as long as you need,” they told her. As she learned more about her hosts, Meltem also began to understand about their Savior, Jesus Christ, who delights to rescue people and set them in a secure, unshakeable place (Psalm 91:14-16). Attending church with her new friends has truly become a sanctuary and refuge for her.