RMM News Bulletin

*Editor's note* We received the following update/correction to this story from our source today (April 24):

Some of what I wrote yesterday was from newspaper reports and was apparently exaggerated, particularly related to the torture involved. An autopsy report reported 20 knife wounds for the German brother, Tilmann, not 150. Fingers and ears being cut may also be fabrications.

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We received the following update on Saturday from a source in Turkey. The writer asks, "Is this the watershed we have been yearning and praying for these many years?" Let’s continue to pray that it is.

Many of you will have heard the most recent news of the torture and murder of 3 of our Christian brothers in Malatya, eastern Turkey.

This afternoon, the German brother Tillman was buried in Malatya. His wife and four children have decided to stay in that city. Nejati's body was flown to Izmir and we have just returned from the funeral. Over 250 believers, the provincial governor and mayor of a part of Izmir were present.

This event has shaken the country. It is one thing to be shot down and killed instantly but as details emerge on Turkish TV of terrible torture (Tillman's body has 156 stab wounds) before their throats were slit, many many Muslims in this country are in total confusion.

Pray that God will turn this around for His greater glory and more fruitfulness than we ever could have imagined.

As Nejati's wife said at the funeral this afternoon… " my husband was as Jesus to me, and now he is with the Jesus he loved so much. I am deeply honored to go on serving that same Jesus on earth…"

Is this the water-shed we have been yearning and praying for these many years?

Posted by RMM Blog Administrator at 04:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The small Christian community in Turkey has been rocked by another attack. Wednesday, in the eastern city of Malatya, at approximately 1:30 pm, three men were bound hand and foot and their throats were cut. Two of them were found dead at the scene; one died later in the hospital. The victims are identified as Necati Aydin, who had moved from Izmir five years ago, Tillman Geske from Germany who moved to Malatya in 2002 and Ugur Yuksel who had moved to Malatya two years ago. Necati and Tillman were each married and have several children; Ugur was single.

The two Turkish victims were employees of Zirve, a Christian publishing and distributing company. Four alleged attackers were apprehended while still in the Zirve office, reportedly still in possession of their weapons. A fifth accomplice was captured outside after jumping from a 4th story window in an attempt to escape.

While none of our workers live in this city, some of them knew these brothers; they will be missed. Pray for the wives and children left behind. Pray for the several thousand Turkish believers. Pray that the peace that Jesus promised would be with all his people, local or foreign.

Click here to read a news story about this tragedy.

Posted by RMM Blog Administrator at 07:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Whenever missions is discussed, many times the"10/40 Window" is mentioned. You may have wondered, "What is the 10/40 window?" The “10/40 Window” is a name for an area of the world that lies across Africa and Asia from 10 degrees latitude north of the equator to 40 degrees latitude north of the equator. It is where most of the people groups unreached with the gospel live.

Some other stats about the 10/40 window:
• 2/3 of the world’s population live in the 10/40 window.
• 95% of the people in the 10/40 window are unevangelized
• 85% of those living in the 10/40 window are the poorest of the world’s poor, living on less than $2 a day
• Only about 1.25% of missions giving is going toward work in the 10/40 window

Posted by RMM Blog Administrator at 01:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the ways for your church to be involved in God’s work around the world is through an RMM Prayer Journey. A Prayer Journey is “a short-term missions trip for the purpose of “praying on site with insight” resulting in the coming of God’s glory and the salvation of unreached people in a particular area.” (From Fred Hartley and David P Jones) The objective is to expose people with a heart for prayer to another culture and missions, and to bring encouragement to the hearts of missionaries. Teams spend a lot of time praying in several locations and in different situations; they do the work of “preparing the soil” for the seeds of the kingdom to take root. In the past, Prayer Journey Teams have traveled to Turkey, Ecuador, Mexico, and Southwest Texas. Future teams may travel to Thailand, Morocco, Spain, and other locations. If your church would have interest in knowing more about Prayer Journeys, contact Mim Musser at mim@rmmoffice.org or at 740-857-1366.

Posted by RMM Blog Administrator at 01:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)