Turkey Earthquake
The devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in February of this year was among the deadliest ever recorded in history. At the time of this writing, well over 50,000 lives have been lost, 160,000 buildings lay destroyed, and the country has suffered nearly 16,000 aftershocks.
In response to this crisis, One Kingdom has raised over $125,000 for disaster relief. Every penny raised will go directly to the front lines to allow our partners in Turkey to provide relief, support, and hope to the survivors.
One Kingdom has partnered with First Hope, a ministry organization in Turkey that is carrying out the disaster relief efforts. First Hope began in 2015 in response to the tough living conditions that originated from ongoing wars and oppression and forced millions of people to migrate from their own homeland. First Hope works with the foundational principle of “Treat people in a way you want to be treated.” The good Samaritan values line up with the teachings of scripture and foster peace, justice and basic human rights in the country of Turkey.
There are so many different relief projects happening in Turkey as the country attempts to restore and rebuild what has been lost. Here are a few of the incredible efforts being accomplished because of the generosity of so many:
First Hope has provided over 5,000 tents for a tent city that is housing thousands of people who will either be relocated or will wait to rebuild. Along with each tent, First Hope provides beds, pillows, sheets and blankets for families.
Two children’s education and support tents have been erected to allow children to spend the day in these areas and play games, dance, read, and complete art projects. Volunteers are using drama and constructive play with children to help them open up about the trauma they’ve experienced and start to address the issue of fear in their lives.
Mobile hygiene trucks are operating in the hardest-hit areas and is churning out 200 loads of laundry each day.
On International Women’s Day, nearly 1,500 specially prepared bags full of women’s products were passed out to survivors. Each reusable bag contained feminine products, undergarments, wet wipes, masks, and fragrances.
A portable bread and pastry service is churning out roughly 8,000 loaves of bread and 1,800 pastries daily.
In addition to all of this, every week First Hope is providing thousands of food packets, hygiene sets, blankets, and liters of water to the survivors.
Most recently, your support has provided shipping containers that have been converted into shelters. These shelters have been dispersed to several areas to allow families to move out of the tent cities they’ve been staying in, which are not sustainable long-term and are less safe. In some cases, families have had these shelters delivered onto their property so that they may have some semblance of home as they rebuild.
One Kingdom has also purchased a delivery truck that is being used by the local church to make supply deliveries to the tent cities and rural areas. Families who have been displaced and evacuated only with what they were wearing are being served by these ministries.
Your donations make these efforts possible. There is so much still to be done in Turkey, and One Kingdom will continue to support our partners in their work during the months ahead. This is far from over, but we believe God will provide, and He will be glorified in it all.
This particular disaster was so catastrophic that the restoration process will take many years. Right now, the needs are primarily physical. Shelters, food, and clothing are paramount. However, the emotional toll this is taking cannot be measured. This is why the local church is so important in this relief effort. We need to continue to support these front-line workers as they minister to the broken. We also want to minister to the ministers, so they have a place to put their emotions as well.
In many disaster relief situations, the church pours out so much effort into the community that the ministers are often left exhausted and emotionally drained. There are so many ministry workers who are working around the clock to help their countrymen, and often times they do not realize the emotional and physical toll it takes doing this work. We at One Kingdom want to pour into these men and women, giving them a place to rest and rejuvenate.
We will continue to provide updates as we follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in rebuilding Turkey. The work is far from over. Please continue to pray for Turkey. As you do, share this story with your church families so more can join this important effort. God is already working wonders and we believe He’s just getting started.