Shoes for Refugees in the Middle East

Attention: CAPT Chev. Keith H. Larson, Chair

A Field Report prepared for The Raymond G. Davis Templar Foundation, Inc.416MPON Mission Pontus Ministry, Turkey | November 2015

Shoes for RefugeesAfter getting the blessing of our Church on Sunday, we started our trip for distribution with my helper, Settar. When I went to purchase these supplies, this ministry was much more blessed by the man we bought the shoes from. God blessed it on both sides! Here is a wonderful story of His blessing to us as we bought supplies.

Especially, when I was talking with the factory to buy shoes for the refugees, I met with the responsible manager. He asked me, “what are you going to do with all these shoes?” I told him that, “I am serving in a church in Samsun,” and then I told him that, “I will distribute the support of a helpful person.” After that the man was surprised, because he was from Samsun (65 years old). For so many years he worked in Istanbul and right now he is the manager in there. So while we were talking, we stopped talking about the price of the shoes, and we were talking about “How is the Church going in Samsun.” Even I have sent him a New Testament. He has sent us 24 free shoes. He said “Christians are serving much better than us and I am sending these 24 shoes for free.” So this ministry started to show the blessing before it starts. I am sure that he will tell this story to his family and his friends. Please pray for Manager Mr. Mustafa, may God work in his heart.

We visited three camps for the shoe distribution and outreach. Please, while looking at the pictures, notice their FEET. Seventy percent of the camp had no shoes !! Thank you so much for your generous donation and for allowing me to do this ministry through your giving.

Dear Sir,We received the generous support that you sent. We are so thankful to you especially.

Please accept our greetings and best regards. 

Sincerely,

Matta

Suruc Camp: (On the Kobane boundry) THIS SUPPORT WAS A GREAT MIRACLE!!! On Tuesday I was there (8th September 2015). We were able to provide shoes for children who had no shoes. We gave away 76 pair of shoes (76 x $16 = $1,216 USD). All of these people are Kurdish folks who are coming from Syria/Kobane area. The 24 shoes which were gifts that I told you about above, we also distributed them here.

Adana Camp 1: This area is different then Suruc. Kurdish administrators are helping these people a lot. However, people in Adana area can not have enough support. Their tents are in bad condition and the camp is not organized. It is hard for them to provide their toilet and nutrient needs. Young men are working in the fields. Old people and women are staying at the tents. There are so many illness. There are 9 camps in Adana area. The first camp that we visited, there were refugees from Syrian Arabic. There were 113 tents here and we supported them. We could distriubute to 51 tents which had children and old people. We distributed 123 pairs of shoes (123 x $16 = $1968 USD)

Adana Camp 2: This camp has the same conditions as “ADANA CAMP #1” the only difference is the people here are Kurdish. There are 164 tents here. We could distribute it to 72 tents which have children and old people. We distributed shoes to children, women, and men 155 pairs of shoes (155 x $16 = $2,480 USD).

These people are tired from the sun, illness and unhealthy nutrition. The people are about to crush each other for 2 pieces of sugar which falls on the street in our food distributions. They are climbing in the truck to get some pasta which fell out of the packages. These people are working in the fields but they can’t get their money. They can’t go back to their countries. They are scared to go to Europe after seeing the picture of the dead child from last week. Actually before that event, thousands of them died, but that event affected them a lot. The only thing that they want is “they want to go back their countries.” There were some Christian families that have gone to Armenia.

As you know, I am distributing support in here once in 2 months. But this is the first time that we see them so hungry. I understood that “The impossibilities are making them so angry, needy and hopeless. ” The second day of the distribution ministry, an old woman came to us, there was a 15-16 years old child with her. She told us something our translator told that “ISIS killed the child’s father.” The woman who talked to us, she is the grandmother of that child. The mother has gone and married a Turkish person. The grandmother was going to go back to her country but she could not because of that child. She told us “You are rich, take him with you when you go back.” I told her that we can not do anything like this but of course we will pray for him and Jesus loves him. She got more angry at me and she asked “Where is He? How does He love us? If He would love us we would not be angry.” She was so mad at me. The Muslim ISIS had done these things. So after all these things she is angry to God and she doesn’t want to hear any thing about God; that is what I felt when I was talking with her. I just thought about what to say and told her “ISIS hit you but Jesus sent me to you. He told me, ‘Matta go and take bread to that Old aunt and her grandson, take shoes to them, and take vitamins to them for being healthy.’ Here I am Jesus sent me to you,” I said. The woman turned back and went.

When I was about to turn back, she shouted at me and said, “thank you” in Arabic. She came to me, held my hand and showed her heart. “So many wounds. Tell Jesus to save us.” Here I am telling the story about this old aunt. Please pray Jesus to save this woman and all the refugees. Winter is coming and we need so many firewoods and foods. We are praying for this please pray with us as we share the love of Jesus to the refugees. Thank you so much for your prayers and help!

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