A month ago we were finishing preparations for our yearly Discipleship Program. We had a dozen students come from a number of countries across the Middle East to feast on God's word. In the early hours of February 6, half-way into what proved to be a fruitful couple of weeks with the students, we were woken by the earthquake centered in southeastern Turkey. After trying to calm everyone, including our Afghan girls who had rushed out into the street, we began to hear of the devastation caused by a couple of earthquakes 7.8 and 7.5. News was sluggish in revealing the real damage but it soon became evident that we were looking at a disaster of epic proportions.

Even as we were wrapping up our Discipleship Program and sending the disciples off to make more disciples we readied ourselves to tackle the looming humanitarian challenge across the way in Turkey. The earthquake had wrecked havoc across 10 provinces in Turkey affecting several major cities leaving millions homeless overnight. Although many were saved by multi-national rescue teams and local efforts, many more were lost, buried deep in the rubble of large apartment block buildings. The official death toll for Turkey and Syria has been climbing steadily and will surely reach the 100,000 mark soon. With hundreds of thousands of homes lying in utter ruin, many experts believe the actual loss of life is actually much higher than reported.

Ten days after the earthquake, once the search and rescue operations had largely run their course, a small group of us from Cyprus traveled to southern Turkey to help in coordinating the building of shelters for the many displaced people. After arriving in Adana and buying tools we headed to the neighbouring province of Hatay, home to the historic city of Antioch. Even as we entered Iskenderun where some local believers had perished, we began to witness the destructive force of the earthquake. In some places several buildings lay in a crumpled mass of cement blocks and rebar. Most other apartment buildings had walls missing and large fissures visible to the naked eye. Most of the people had fled in panic and those that remained looked haggard from days of sleeping in their cars. That night we went another hour south to Antioch to pay a visit to the local church leaders there. Nothing could have prepared us for the utter devastation we were to witness.

The region of Antioch boasted a large multi-cultural population of roughly half a million. Across the river from the historic district of ancient Antioch a massive crop of 6-10 story apartment buildings had risen up in recent years complete with a luxurious mall. Antioch was famous for its delicious food and tourist friendly atmosphere. Now it lay in utter darkness. The only noise was the hammering of heavy machinery in the distance as they worked around the clock trying to pry open sandwiched buildings. By now, relatives huddled around make-shift fire pits were praying to be able to at least recover the bodies of their loved ones and give them an honourable burial.

We made our way in the dark to Hamdullah and Elma's home but could hardly recognize the otherwise familiar roads. Everywhere we looked we saw only piles of debris where lovely homes and restaurants once stood. Soon we could not proceed any further and were forced to take a winding detour up the mountainside. When we reached the local believers we found them out in the street warming themselves around a fire pit with a group of neighbours that remained. We entered the courtyard of what used to be their cherished home only to find it overcrowded with all manner of relief supplies. Despite their own personal trauma they had been busy since the first day delivering food and other essentials to the needy in their neighbourhood. In the evenings they slept in their car along with the rest.

Huddled in the eerie darkness of their courtyard, Elmas began to recount her experience. They were jarred awake at 4:17 am by the shaking of their bed and the deafening sound of the earth which she described as being run over by a freight train. Upon the realization that they had survived they instinctively scampered outside to check on their neighbours to whom they had faithfully ministered for over two decades. As they exited their front door they saw only mounds of rubble and billowing smoke where five apartment buildings used to stand. It was utter chaos with people walking around shell-shocked in their nightgowns even as others cried out for help from under the rubble. Some scampered up the piles of debris and did their best to dig out their loved ones with their bare hands while others had to wait for daylight and hope the rescue teams would arrive with professional equipment. But help was not forthcoming. In fact they waited for days before anyone came to offer help. By then it was too late for most trapped under the rubble.

This was the experience of countless others across southeast Turkey. The fact is that the magnitude and scope of the destruction spread across 10 Turkish provinces and spilling over into Syria is so massive that no government could respond effectively. Notwithstanding, it is evident that shunned building standards and large-scale corruption played a significant role in this staggering catastrophe and tragic loss of life in Turkey. It is estimated that up to 80% of the buildings in Antioch are either already destroyed or will need to be torn down because of structural damage. Similar scenarios are being played out in other major cities across southeastern Turkey. The devastation is truly mind-boggling.

In the face of such apocalyptic destruction it is difficult to know where to even begin to help. Thankfully, along with many people from around the world, the Turkish Church has risen to the challenge and has been actively serving earthquake survivors across the region. In the first weeks this help was largely in the form of food and warm clothing. Soon however the need for shelter became pressing. Tents are in high demand, but this is not enough to house the millions who have been affected? Furthermore, cramming people into tent cities carries with it all kinds of adverse long-term consequences. This is why we began to look into building tiny houses for people in the region. With the help of several friends we quickly finished a prototype. These are sourced locally and designed to be set up in 4-5 hours. With two rooms they can house a large family. Outside of Antioch there are many smaller cities where people live in single dwellings surrounded by their orchards. Our tiny homes allow people to live on their own land and tend their fields even as they rebuild their lives.

Over the last week, together with a growing number of volunteers, we were able to build 10 tiny houses. Naturally we recognize that even over the next year we could not possibly build enough houses for those affected so our aim is to further inspire and equip local people to start building similar structures. Our hope is that this will encourage people to stay and work their land as well as rekindle the local economy. We already have more orders than we can manage and are working on a metal prototype for other affected regions. God has graciously provided for these shelters through many partners including the Turkey Disaster Relief fund set up by CMML. I will likely need to make more trips to the region in coming weeks to continue directing this effort as well as help coordinate the overall relief work alongside local workers.

Finally, despite the horrific scenes we have witnessed and the appalling loss of life in this earthquake, we have also been encouraged to see Christ's body at work. Of course in the face of such tragedy we always need to be careful not to come across as opportunistic in our relief work. Some in their eagerness to share the Gospel by putting Christian material in with relief packets have only succeeded in inciting the latent prejudices of the muslim majority Turks. It is much better to show Christ's love in our sacrificial service and this usually results in open hearts and ample opportunity for the gospel. Over the last week we had many such opportunities. As we worked hand in hand with local people to build their homes they inevitably wanted to know more about our faith. We trust that these seeds will result in a glorious harvest even as people are forced to grapple with the tough questions of life and death. For more on this delicate subject see a recent article in Christianity Today

Back home in Cyprus now we have just welcomed the last batch of Afghan ladies bringing our number up to 35 women. It is a daunting and sometimes overwhelming responsibility. These last girls faced many obstacles in their trek to Cyprus and Sarah had her hands full while I was gone but by God's grace they made it. Most importantly several of them have shown interest in the gospel. As they start their next semester we are looking to the Lord for his gracious provision for their monthly needs. Those interested in supporting them can access more information about this blossoming ministry at CMML's At Risk Women page.

Thank you for upholding us in your prayers, especially in tough days like these. We appreciate your ongoing support and prayers for those we serve in Turkey and Cyprus.

Blessings, Jerry and Sarah Mattix