How Do We As Christians Relate To People And Culture That Is Overwhelmingly Muslim?

HOW DO WE AS CHRISTIANS RELATE TO A PEOPLE AND CULTURE THAT IS OVERWHELMINGLY MUSLIM?

By: Rev. José C. Hernández, Jr.

Introduction:

As a person born and raised in a Western culture with its values and traditions in which the only thing that I knew was either Roman Catholicism or the Protestant Christian traditions it has been a journey for me to get to the point where I am today, beginning to relate to a people and culture that is overwhelmingly Muslim. My father was a Pentecostal preacher and my mother a homemaker. We grew up in an environment where Protestants refused to call Roman Catholics Christians. Hence, it was in our minds that the Roman Catholics were the enemy and in the minds of the Roman Catholics the Protestants were the enemy. Of course, Puerto Rico is not the only place on this planet with that kind of mentality. In Latin America the religious battle is always about denominations and which Christian tradition is the best, sometimes relegating Roman Catholicism to a cult and vice versa.

It took many years for me to understand that the family of God is big and diverse with people from different backgrounds and with a variety of theological points of views. Among the many other affirmations the church has made in its different ecumenical councils, we all have as our common DNA an understanding about the Divine nature of Jesus Christ, his virginal birth, the inerrancy of the message that the Bible contains. Nonetheless, because of the geographical distances and the efforts to battle heretic movements within and around our own Christian churches, the notion that there is something beyond the Christian faith that is attracting millions of people, namely Islam, is not in our immediate attention.

Today the scholarly minds of our society have been fascinated by the philosophies expressed in Oriental religions such as Buddhism or Hinduism. However, the oppressed classes and minorities have often been attracted by the message Islam offers to them. Meanwhile, Christianity is declining in places like North America and Europe, mostly because the Church has diluted her message in a effort to compromise her faith with a society unwilling to pay the price required in the Scriptures of following Jesus. Therefore, we must take a look at how we live out our Christianity. We must question ourselves, how do we proclaim the Gospel of Christ in a world filled with many choices? Additionally, we must ponder the notion of how Christ is the only one who can satisfy that thirst for knowledge, social justice, and righteousness that this world is seeking, regardless of language, skin color, geographical location, social status, or gender. Nonetheless, in our own religious cultures we continue to live a Christian existence without examining the rising of a faith like Islam that attempts to transcend stereotypes. As a matter of fact, David Noss in his book “A History of the World Religions” says the following; “The heart of Islam is hidden from most Westerners, and the outer images of Islamic countries present bewildering contrasts: stern ayatollahs ordering the lash for prostitutes, camels drivers putting down prayer mats in the desert, sophisticated royal princes discussing international investments, and fiery national liberators proclaiming equality and denouncing Western values.” 1

Regretfully, most Christians in the West follow unchallenged the bias newscasts from our country, and listen to the words of condemnation from angry people who disagree theologically and politically with most of the Muslim people. This keeps them from distinguishing the truth from biased opinions. Furthermore, there is no intention of seeing beyond our religious and cultural glasses into the reality of the Muslim people. By and large, we do not ask ourselves the following questions: Why do they believe what they believe? When did they adopted those beliefs? Can we, or should we, attempt to separate their culture from their faith? How can we develop with the Muslim people a relationship in which we can share our faith in Jesus Christ and the true message of our faith in One-Trinitarian God?

It is my intention with this paper first to describe my personal journey as a Christian, one dedicated to mobilize the Latino church toward world missions. Secondly, to present a general panoramic view of how the public in North America views and interacts with the Muslim faith. Third, how Christians in general relate to Muslim people and culture only from a distance. Lastly, I will respond to the question; “How do we as Christians relate to a people and culture that is overwhelmingly Muslim?”

My Personal Journey

As I mentioned before, I grew up in a Christian family with an unclear understanding of other major religions such Buddhism, Hinduism, or Islam. We knew about their existence, but our daily battle was against the Mormons, the Jehovah Witnesses, and the Roman Catholics, among other religious groups that have as their heritage some sort of Christian understanding. Although I had been involved in world missions and the Latino Church mobilization in missions (mainly towards Latin America) since 1994, the first time my eyes turned to the Muslim religion was after the attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. It is at this point I decided to take a closer look at this religion and their diverse branches or sect groups that are among them.

In this process I discovered that Islam was founded by Muhammad who began to have a series of “revelations” around the year 610 A.D. Furthermore, after the death of the founder of this religion (632), Islam became fragmented into schools or branches. The most known among them are the Sunni, Shia, Kharijite, and Ahmadiyya. However, due to the terrorists events against the United States in Yemen, New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania, I turned my attention to the fear campaign led by politicians, political commentators, and Christian leaders, taking several years of my life to contemplate the word “Jihad.” During this time I discovered that this is a term that describes a duty Muslim people have. It means “struggle”, or “striving in the way of Allah.” This is a way in which Muslims describes not just the “Holy War” but also their struggles to maintain their faith, and their Muslim societies.

During the summer of 2007 I was invited on a trip to China that would revolutionize the way I was involved in missions. Before my trip to China my evangelistic efforts were primarily toward nominal Roman Catholics who were not really attending any church. But once I visited China I got came to the realization that the most populous religion among the people in this Asian country is the Buddhist faith. And at my return the Lord opened for me doors to minister people that practice Buddhism here in the United States. Nevertheless, one of the ethnic minority groups I got exposed during this first visit to China were the Uyghurs. These are Turkish descendants that have been in the Western part of China for centuries. During my discovery process about this group I found out that they are Sunni Muslims. In fact, among the 3.8 million Uyghurs living in the Xingjiang Autonomous Region, only 50 Uyghur Christians were living among them. This is one of the saddest stories I have ever read since at one point in their history (during the Nestorian ministry in China) this community was predominantly Christian. Thus, since that time one of the ethnic groups that I pray for every day is the Uyghurs.

Interestingly, despite the fact I have been interested in ministering to the Uyghur, I never had the opportunity to study in more detail the Muslim faith. I had conversations with other Christians about the subject but had to confess to them many times my frustration at being unable to reach out to Muslims. On the other hand I was doing nothing in order to understand the basics of their beliefs. And in the midst of this personal struggle between a calling from God to get prepared in this area and my procrastination to respond, the Lord put me in an airplane and sent me with Dr. Bob Tuttle to Turkey.

I will never forget the emotional feeling of seeing from the distance the city of Nicaea, walking on the streets of Constantinople, standing at a place that once was the largest Christian church for a thousand of years. We saw minarets and more minarets, we saw Mosques, we heard the calls to Muslim prayer. I was overwhelmed by so much Christian history mixed with the reality of Asia Minor today, a Muslim stronghold. The Holy Spirit put in my face the reality of a part of the world that has not been reached with the message of Jesus Christ. Moreover, I got a daily rebuke from the Holy Spirit every time I heard the call to prayer at night or early morning in my room. One evening, Dr. Tuttle spoke about the “Five Pillars of Islam.” These are the declarations that there is no other God but Allah and Muhammad is his last prophet (Shahada), the daily prayers, fasting during the month of Ramadan, alms giving (giving to charity, the poor and the needy), and a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca at least once in a lifetime. And although he talks about them in the book “The Story of Evangelism” for whatever reason I never payed attention to such important facts about the Islamic faith. This was another rebuke from the Holy Spirit for being a procrastinator to what He wants me to do. Today, I have committed myself to respond to the calling of getting prepared in the studies of Islam and the proclamation of Christ’s Gospel among the Muslim peoples. I have made a covenant with God in which I will be reading the whole Qur’an within the next ten months and I am going to be aggressive in my study about the Islam. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen!

The General View of the Public in North America Concerning Islam

As it happened to me, most people in North America are not paying attention to Islam Instead, the information most of them have in their minds is what they have heard or read on the media and what politicians and Christians leaders from the left and the right in this country mention in public appearances. In the spirit of this reality, according to the Pew Forum On Religion and Public Life, most Americans say they know little about the Muslim religion and its practices. About 55 % do not know much and 30% do not know anything at all about the Islamic faith. 2 In a society that does not seek the facts and rather has the tendency to take as the truth whatever a celebrity, a politician, or a well-known religious leader says, the result is not knowledge at all. Because of that, we have our military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting the Islamic extremists instead of winning them for Christ. Dr. Brian Russell once told me; “We must conquer the Muslims with the Gospel instead of weapons if we really want to win the war on terror.” To this statement, Dr. Bob Tuttle coincides when he told us inside the bus on our way to Antioch of Pisidia; “Folks, we do not win a war against the Muslims with invasions. We must wage our war in the heavenly realm if we want to change them.”

How North American Christians in General Relate to Muslim People and Culture from a Distance?

American communities in general have mixed emotions about Islam and the response from the Christian community is similar. When we see the numbers among Christians, the reality is at times even more dire since we are supposed to have an evangelistic spirit. According to a poll conducted by BeliefNet.com and the Ethics and Public Policy Center (a non-partisan think tank), 81% of evangelical leaders say it is very important to evangelize Muslims in other countries and 83% of them affirm we should evangelize Muslim communities here at home. However, the number drops to 54% when pollsters ask if they are willing to have a dialogue with Muslims. 3 Thus, the question that comes to my mind is; how we can evangelize Muslim communities without a dialog with them? Furthermore, the question made by Dr. Bob Tuttle; “How do we as Christians relate to a people and culture that is overwhelmingly Muslim?” could be a way for us to take seriously the responsibility of being a beacon of light in the midst of a society that thinks, behaves, and lives differently than we do because of the cultural, geo-political, and religious issues.

How do we as Christians relate to a people and culture that is overwhelmingly Muslim?

Based on the information presented above and my own experience I have to conclude that most Western Christians do not know how to relate to a people and culture that is overwhelmingly Muslim. Dr. Bob Tuttle in his book “Shortening the Leap: From Honest Doubt to Enduring Faith” makes the following statement: “We evangelical Christian types (like most Americans) usually lack humility and global perspective.” He also added: “We need to know the Qur’an and we need to make an honest attempt to understand the world from its perspective.” 4 The sad reality among most Christian communities in North America is that they lack the ability to relate either with the Muslims of Istanbul or the ones living in Dearborn, Michigan. Day and night what we listen to among the majority of the Christian leaders in our nation is a fear mongering campaign against the Muslim people. They regard all of them as terrorists, “little devils”, and enemies of this nation and the world.

It is crucial for Christians to build a bridge with the different Muslim groups in America and the rest of the world. Thus, we must get immersed in the understanding of the world according to their culture. If the followers of Islam pray five times a day, we should congratulate them for that an also pray to our Lord Jesus five times or more a day. If they fast, we should commend them and get onboard fasting in favor of the salvation of millions of people without Christ.I If they help the poor and do charitable work, we should celebrate that and do the same in our ministry as Jesus already ordered us to do (Matthew 19:16-26; Matthew 24-31-46; Luke 14:13). Because, if we build common ground with our Muslim friends in these very important areas of their daily lives, then, we have built the foundation to have a holistic missional approach among these Muslim groups here and abroad since our ultimate goal as Christians is to express God redemptive work in every creature living on this planet. Furthermore, if we contextualize the Gospel with these Muslim groups, we are going to have a far better chance of reaching out to them for Christ.

I understand it is difficult for any person that belongs to a cultural group to embrace the culture of a different group. This is the struggles of all immigrants that relocate to any other country. But at the same time, we, the Western Christian Church, are responding to the call of proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Thus, we must make the changes of embracing (or at least understanding) the culture we want to reach since, after all, we are the ones called to do so. A great example of this is seen in Acts, chapter 17, verses 16-31 when Paul spoke to the Athenians at Mars Hill. He noticed the Greeks of Athens had many deities; and among them they had one dedicated to the “Unknown God.” The Apostle was clever. He not only used this image of the unknown God to share the Gospel, but he even quoted one of the great poets of the city in order to make his point. I believe this is the perfect approach to relate to peoples and cultures that are overwhelmingly Muslim.

An example of this can be found in Randy Woodley’s book “Living in Color: Embracing God’s Passion for Ethnic Diversity.” In this book Randy shared a story about how a Christian woman in Bangladesh ministered to the Muslim people. She was able to communicate successfully the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the indigenous people without imposing the word “Christianity” because the connotation of this word or term among many Muslims is a reminder of the Crusades and the negative things Christian nations have done to them. The result has been magnificent. Many of them have come to Christ, although they do not call themselves “Christians.” Rather, they embrace Christianity (without that identification), by simply following Jesus. 5

I believe that anthropologist, Charles Kraft, is right when he makes the following statement: “We need to employ mechanisms for change, not to destroy the culture and those processes along with it.” 6 Consequently, we must use creative methods of approach and evangelization to the Muslim people. I remember the story of a Venezuelan missionary that shortly after he got married in 1985 he and his wife decided to relocate to Morocco in order to serve as missionaries. Soon he discovered that proclaiming the Gospel among Muslim people in a nation where it is a crime to preach Christianity would be more difficult than he thought. Nonetheless, in the midst of his discouragement the Lord took him to Exodus, Chapter four where God asked Moses; “What is that in your hand?” That was the same question God had for this missionary. In Venezuela he was a Physical Education teacher and a Soccer Coach. Thus, he decided to make good use of his position as a coach. He began to train young kids in the art of soccer and eventually the community leaders invited him to become the coach of their local team. Every year his team was doing better and better, while he was at the same time planting the seeds of the Gospel among these young minds in creative ways. During 25 years of ministry among the Moroccans his four children were born and raised in this community and his prestige as a coach grew more and more every year. The latest that happened to him was during the year 2009 when he led his team to the Moroccan National Championship. And while he was shaking the hand to the King of Morocco, the leaders at the Pioneers Missions Agency were ecstatic to see one of their missionaries in the field taking Christ to every single member of that soccer team.

The story I just presented above proves once again the point Dr. Bob Tuttle makes in his book, “Someone Out There Needs Me: A Practical Guide to Relational Evangelism”-- that relational evangelism enables a person to make the necessary transition without embarrassment and within a context of genuine interest and concern. 7 This can be an effective weapon for reaching Muslim peoples within their own cultural context, either in their home countries or even within their local enclaves in America. Furthermore, relational evangelism is incarnational evangelism since we must get closer to the people in the same way Christ did when he left His Throne of Glory and became flesh with the purpose of reaching out to humans within their cultural context.

One of my dear friends is a Brazilian Pastor who has been a church mobilizer for global missions for over 30 years. His name is Edison Queiroz. Among his many missionary endeavors he and his fellow missionaries have a project to help equip the Chinese church to reach the Muslim world. Two years ago I went to Beijing and I was told that a group of Brazilian missionaries were close by. We invited them for dinner and sure enough, these four guys and gals from the Brazilian Amazon, dressed in Chinese traditional clothes showed up at the hotel. They were members of Edison’s church. Their work was to teach a group of Chinese missionaries the Farsi language to enable them to be ministers in Iran. And they told me that what they have done as missionaries in Iran is to dress, eat, and live in the same way the locals do. Furthermore, they have been able to create commonality in certain areas of the local community life. For instance, they use sports events such as soccer tournaments, to reach out to people. Moreover, since Iranian young people are very interested in learning foreign languages, they have been providing Portuguese language lessons as a way of establishing relationships.

One of the things that is most important among Arab, Turkish, and Persian cultures is commerce. However, the way people in the East do business is completely different than in the West. Most Western approaches to business relationships and transactions are impersonal interactions based on facts rather than relationships. Thus, anyone could purchase anything within minutes without knowing anything about the salesperson, since the entire focus of the transaction is the product and its quality. The Eastern approach is completely the opposite. Business transactions take hours, days, weeks, and even months because they are not just buying a product or are simply impressed by its quality. They need to be certain of the reputation of that salesperson. Hence, they begin to build a relationship that will take all the time necessary in order for the buyer to find that trust. At the same time, the seller needs that time to convince the buyer about his personal character. Thus, they drink coffee or have a meal together, they talk about each other’s families, they show pictures of their families, and they talk about sports--among many other things--while the business transaction is in the background. The result of all of this is more than a mere business transaction, but a long lasting relationship between two or more individuals.

For us in the Christian Church, I do not understand why we have not invested more time and resources to cultivate the reality I just described above. I believe with all my heart that business is one of the relational ways we could connect with Muslim people in their cultural context. In the book, “Prayer Evangelism: How to Change the Spiritual Climate Over Your Home, Neighborhood, and City,” author Ed Silvoso makes an interesting point. He says: “The Church was not born in the Upper Room, but in the Marketplace.” 8 The point the author is making is while the Church was conceived in the Upper Room, the Church was born when the Holy Ghost descended upon His people and they went out and spoke the Word and people came to Christ. How they did it? Well, at the beginning they started within the Jewish community, but the Holy Spirit’s plan was beyond that. Thus, He moved them out of Jerusalem having them emigrate to all the known world of that time in order for them to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles on three continents. They had to overcome their own cultural bias, ways of thinking, and ethnocentrism. They had to embrace other cultures and contextualize their message to the particular social group where they wanted to minister. The result was a church that exploded in growth in places as far as Spain, India, and Ethiopia.

Conclusion

Therefore, if as Christians we want to relate to a people and culture that is overwhelmingly Muslim we must be willing to get beyond the ethnocentric notions that have been planted in our minds by people with a political agenda, rather than a Kingdom of God agenda. We relate with the Muslim people embracing the parts of their culture compatible with the mind of Jesus. We build a friendly environment having clearly in our minds the people we want to reach realizing that they have an Eastern mindset. Our job is to reach them where they are, rather than trying to make them think and behave as Westerners. Dr. Tuttle in his book “The Story of Evangelism” says; “Basic to the understanding of evangelism is the realization that the Bible has culture, we have culture, and those around us have culture and they may all be different.” 9 This is a crucial component we must keep in mind at all times when ministering to Muslims or any other religious or cultural group. At the end of the day the success of planting the seed of the Gospel (not the results) depends on it.

Furthermore, we must be full of compassion, compassion for a people that in many instances will hate us because of the mistakes made by our own Government and by the Christian movement hundreds of years ago, or even by the radicalism that has attempted to hijack the Muslim faith in many parts of the world. I think Christopher J.H. Wright cannot say it better when he writes: “The community God seeks for the sake of His mission is to be a community shaped by His own ethical character, with specific attention to righteousness and justice in a world filled with oppression and injustice. Only such a community can be a blessing to the nations.” 10 And, we are called in such a time such as this to fulfill God’s desire to reconnect with His creation in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Works Cited

1. Noss, David S. A History of the World’s Religions. Saddle River: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1994. (p. 528).

2. The Pew Forum On Religion & Public Life Public Remains Conflicted Over Islam. August 24th, 2010; pewforum.org/Muslim/Public-Remains-Conflicted-Over-Islam.aspx. February 3rd, 2011.

3. BeliefNet.com & the Ethics and Public Policy Center Evangelical Views on Islam. HYPERLINK "http://www.beliefnet.com/News/Politics/2003/04/Evangelical-Views-Of-Islam.aspx" www.beliefnet.com/News/Politics/2003/04/Evangelical-Views-Of-Islam.aspx. February 3rd, 2011.

4. Tuttle, Jr. Robert G. Shortening the Leap: From Honest Doubt to Enduring Faith. Anderson: Bristol House, 2007. (p. 57).

5. Woodley, Randy. Living In Color: Embracing God’s Passion for Ethnic Diversity. Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2001. (p.p. 51-52).

6. Kraft, Charles H. Christianity in Culture: A Study in Biblical Theologizing in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2005. (p.276).

7. Tuttle, Jr. Robert G. Someone Out There Needs Me: A Practical Guide to Relational Evangelism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1983. (pp. 103-104).

8. Silvoso, Ed. Prayer Evangelism: How to Change the Spiritual Climate Over Your Home, Neighborhood, and City. Ventura: Regal Books, 2000. (pp. 146-148).

9. Tuttle, Jr. Robert G. The Story of Evangelism: A History of the Witness to the Gospel. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006. (p.394).

10. Wright, Christopher J.H. The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2006. (p.369).

Following Paul's Footsteps and Visiting the Churches of the Book of Revelation

Familia,

This month of January has been a time of exciting moments. The Lord allowed me to co-host with Dr. Bob Tuttle a group of 26 people visiting Asia Minor and Greece. Here is a small account of my personal journey following the footsteps of the Apostle Paul and six out of the seven churches from the book of Revelation. This journey to Turkey and Greece has become the highlight of my experience as a student at Asbury Theological Seminary and the Word of God. Once again, I want to thank Bill & Judy Tillmann and Dr. Bob Tuttle for such a wonderful opportunity to serve as a co-host for this trip and at the same time a student-on-location.

One of the things I most enjoyed during this trip was to see the Bible opened in front of me everywhere I was. Furthermore, as I walked in those places studied in my courses of Church History or Theology, I was in my mind hearing the voices of Dr. Zaida Pérez and Dr. Thomas Buchan. Also, I had several flashbacks from my readings of Dr. Justo González church history books. Thus, I have to tell you Constantinople, Nicaea, Cappadoccia, Sardis, Philadelphia, Ephesus, and many other places that we read in the scriptures, but seems abstract to us because of the time and the distance, becomes a reality once you get there. To see the pages of the Bible opening up in front of my eyes and having a contextualized understanding of the words of St. Paul and the letters to the churches of the book of Revelation have become a priceless experience that I will cherish forever.

January 4^th

The first day of our journey was an exciting time anxious to get to the places for many years I have read in the scriptures. A group of ten people departed from Orlando and met with another 13 people from South Carolina, Georgia, and Illinois at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Another couple and Dr. Bob Tuttle traveled from Cyprus and finally, a group of 26 people gathered at the city of Istanbul, Turkey. I slept at least half of the nine hours of flight and it was worth it since once we got in Turkey the next day we hit the ground running.

January 5^th

We arrived to Istanbul and were welcome by Dr. Bob Tuttle and our tour guide Hakam. Then, we were escorted to the bus beginning the journey in the ancient Constantinople. Our first stop from the airport was the St. Sophia Church (Hagia Sophia). However, in our way, the tour guide point out across the bay the historical city of Nicaea, the place of the first Ecumenical Council of the year 325 A.D. were it was settled the disputed issue about the relationship of Jesus to the Father (the Arian doctrine). I want it to have a detour and walk in the streets of that place, but our itinerary would not allow us to make that happen.

We got into Hagia Sophia, which by the way, Sophia means wisdom; in other words, this church was not dedicated to a particular lady with the name Sophia, and rather it was dedicated to the wisdom of Jesus Christ. This worship place was the largest church in Christendom for 1,000 years until the St. Peter Basilica was built in 1626. Although this church became a Muslim Mosque from 1453 until 1934, most of the paintings and frescos from the Christian period remained in the building since the Muslims affirm that Jesus was a prophet and in the Koran there is a chapter dedicated to Mary (chapter 19^th). Here, for whatever reason, security officers seized the microphone from my camcorder and returned to me once I left the premises of the church.

From St. Sophia we had a quick lunch at a restaurant closed by the Blue Mosque, which was the next place we visited. This Islamic house of worship was built during the reign of Sultan Ahmed I in 1616. The Mosque with its six minarets still operating as a worship place despite the fact it is also a tourist attraction. Thus, before we entered inside, we had to take off our shoes and quietly observe the beauty of this place and the Muslim faithful that comes to pray. However, after fifteen minutes inside the Mosque, we were told to leave since the time for the call to prayer was near.

After our visit to the Blue Mosque we walked to the Topkapi Palace, which was the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans from 1465 to 1856. As we were entering, we could hear the “Adhan” which is the Muslim call to prayer. To me it was very impressive since I am not accustom to hear such calls of prayer anywhere I have been before. Nonetheless, we were able there to appreciate the splendor of the monarchic era of the Turkish people.

By the time we left the Palace it was almost 5:30 P.M. We got into the bus and had a quick tour of some of the other historical places along the way (i.e. the Byzantine walls of the city and the St. Georges Church among many others) until we got into the hotel. There, we got 30 minutes to get ready for dinner and then the first session with Dr. Tuttle. He invited Mr. Ralph Elliott, a missionary from Campus Crusade for Christ that has been working in Turkey for many years.

January 6^th

We wake up at 3:30 A.M. in order to pack and get ready to catch another airplane that will be taking us close to the Cappadocia region. At our arrival we got into a bus and drove another hour and half until we got into this area known for the Great Cappadocian Fathers Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianzus. This is also the home of Makrina, the sister of Basil and Gregory of Nyssa. Over there we visited the Monastery of Zelve in the town of Goreme, which is an amazing place. This area of Cappadocia has incredible rock formations and the monks built a monastery carving into the rocks. This place was an active place for Christianity worship from the Roman period until the exchange of Christians and Muslims between Turkey and Greece in 1925. Between 1925 and 1960, the Turkish government used the place to store food and as a stable until the UNESCO offered them to convert the monastery into a museum.

After we departed from Zelve, we made another two stops; the first one at the village of Avcilar, a place in which Christians carved their homes in the rocks as the monks did in Zelve. This place was quite challenging to me since the terrain is quite unstable with many hills. Of course, for Bob Tuttle it was like a cake walk. He will go to the top of the hills and shout “José, get up here!” The other village was outside of Goreme and although it was closed to the public, we were able to appreciate it and take pictures from the top of a mountain. In our way to the hotel, we stopped at a pottery house and saw how the locals made Hittite pottery. In this particular place from presidents to Martha Stewart has purchased these beautiful, handmade works of art. After that, we concluded our evening at a hotel located in the ancient city of Nyssa.

January 7^th

I wake up at 4:30 A.M in order to get ready for a long ride of 450 miles to the ancient city of Antioch of Pisidia. This day was in the personal a highlight because it was the very first time in my life a touch snow. The main entrance of the hotel was covered with this white frozen stuff and as Sarah Campbell and I were making a snow ball, suddenly I felt a cold thing hitting the back of my head. It was Bob Tuttle who had the privilege of throwing to me the first snow ball of a 5 minute snow fight we had some of us at the entrance of the hotel.

Then, we got into the bus and had a slow ride since it was snowing along the way. To me it was beautiful since it was the very first time I was having such experience, but a nightmare to the bus driver who drove at a very slow pace throughout narrow roads most of the way until we reached out the city of Konya which in the Bible is known as Iconium (Acts 14:1-5), a city in which a mob almost kill the Apostle Paul. Nonetheless, before we got there we made a stop in a place that was used about six hundred years ago as a lodge for merchants and travelers. It was more a fortress than a hotel that protected people from bandits during the night time. Also, nearby we were able to see a tent made from goat hair as the ones made by the Apostle Paul. Finally we entered into the city of Antioch of Pisidia around 3:30 P.M. We entered the archeological site and at a place in which once stood a church dedicated to St. Paul, brother Daryl Outing preached the Word of God.

Then, we got in the bus and drove to the town of Pamukkale known for its thermal waters. By that time every single bone in my body was screaming. I was discovering the fact chasing Bob Tuttle is a painful task if you are not physically fit. However, God provided a wonderful blessing; this town is the home of dozens of thermal water springs and the hotel we were staying have an under roof thermal waters swimming pool. Thus, after our teaching session five of us jumped into the hot waters for about half an hour. Nonetheless, we had a lot of fun with an exchange between Bob Tuttle and Hakam during the class session. That evening, Bob decided to teach about the Muslim faith having a Muslim (Hakam) among us. Thus, our tour guide had to endure the rain of fire from Bob’s mouth for 45 minutes. At the end Hakam told Bob; “Listen, I am a reform Muslim; like the Martin Luther of the Muslims. I do not fast in Ramadan or pray five times during the day, and I like a lot of things from the Christian faith.” At the end Bob prayed for Hakam and that was the end of the story.

January 8^th

By 7:30 A.M. we were in the bus moving to the archeological site of the ancient city of Hierapolis. This city that was built by the Romans is known for its white cascades, or calcium formations made by the springs with thermal waters. Furthermore, it is a place in which according to Eusebious, Philip was crucified upside down and then stoned to death. I tried to follow Dr. Tuttle and I succeed to make it to the coliseum area, but I failed to get into the site that tradition says Philip was martyrized. Thus I took pictures of him from the distance.

From Hierapolis we moved to Laodicea in which we spent time visiting the ruins of this city and Brian Sanderson preached the Word of God at the ruins of a Christian church. Then, we traveled to the Aegean coast to the city of Kusadasi. However, since early morning hours, Bob Tuttle was trying without success to convince the tour guide to take us to the city of Troy. Hakam was not happy about it. Then, Bob discovers the ruins of Colossai were in our way to the hotel. It was about 5:45 P.M. when Bob got into convincing Hakam to take us to this other city. The guide gave Bob all the reasons in the world not to go to Colossai, but Tuttle told him, “tell the driver to turn to Colossai”, which he did and ten minutes later we were standing in the top of this ancient city buried under a mountain of dirt in the middle of the night. After we got that awesome and unexpected experience, we went to our hotel.

January 9^th

Kusadasi is a town near the ancient city of Ephesus, thus this morning we departed at 8:00 A.M. towards that city. We had an incredible time visiting the ruins of the city with its library and amphitheater and the Basilica of St. John, were Vicky Harrison delivered her sermon next to the tomb of the Apostle John. Furthermore, we visited a rug factory in which they made an incredible presentation of their products. Half of the group bought rugs in this place at an average price of $1,600.00. The rest of us spent our time watching how other people spent their money, making jokes, and drinking local beverages. From there we went to the Museum of Ephesus in which they have many sculptures and work of art rescued from the ancient city. Finally, around 3:30 P.M. we returned to the hotel in Kusadasi to enjoy the beauty of the Aegean-Mediterranean Sea and rest a little bit from all the hiking.

January 10^th

As in most days, we got in the bus and drove many miles; this time towards the city of Sardis were we saw the ruins of the city. However, before we got there we drove by the city of Smyrna and read Revelation 2:8-11 and made a stop at a jewelry store. Then, we visited the city of Pergamum and got into a cable car in order to get to the top of the city. To me that was freaks show since I’m scare to heights. Then, from the top of the city Richard Harrison led us in the reading of several scripture passages. After that we went to the city of Philadelphia; and this is the original Philadelphia. Over there we saw the ancient walls of the city and had lunch at a local restaurant. Then, we rode in our bus hundreds of miles passing by thousands of vineyards on both sides of the road until we got into the city of Sardis. There we entered into the ruins of a large gymnasium complex and brother Mark Barfield read the letter to the church of Sardis (Revelation 3:1-5).

From the city of Sardis we begin our ride towards the city of Troas. Dr. Tuttle plead it to the tour guide to take us to Troy, but Hakam explain it there is not time for such visit. By the time we got to Troas it was around 4:45 P.M. We spent about twenty minutes wondering throughout the ruins and listening the history of the city from Hakam. After that we went to the Aegean shore were used to be the port of Troas. Sarah Campbell read the scripture that makes reference of Paul visiting Troas (Acts 16:9-10), then we had a group picture, and watched the sun come down. Certainly it was a beautiful experience.

As we begin to move again from Troas to Canakkale, Bob Tuttle continues his quest to convince Hakam to take us to Troy. Hakam explained him there is not much to see in Troy, it was dark, and we must be at the hotel before the dinner time (7:00 P.M.). We had covered a lot of territory in one day and from Troas to Canakkale it was a distance of three hours. But the bus driver broke the traffic laws driving most of the way at 120 kph and we were able to make it just by 7:00 P.M. That night Bob was really disappointed since we slept just 10 miles outside of the famous city of Troy.

January 11^th

By 4:40 A.M. we were in our way to take the ferry that will be crossing us from Asia to Europe. It was our last ride with Hakam, and we were sad for the separation. After crossing the Dardanelles, we drove for about an hour and half until we got to a gas station. There we said goodbye to Hakam and Hassan (the bus driver) and got into another bus that would be taking us to the Greek border. This trip lasted about three and half hours until we got to the border were we presented our passports and spent an hour waiting for the approval from the Turkish government in order to cross the Evros River and get officially in Greece.

Our new tour guide’s name in Greece is Bula and the bus driver Demetree. Bula begin immediately to tell us about the history of the part of the country we were crossing which is Macedonia. In the midst of the presentation Bob Tuttle asked her if she could take her to Troy. And of course, everybody begin to laugh since it was a funny way Dr. Tuttle was trying to handle his disappointment for not being able to visit Troy.

Although the tour guide was unable to take us back to the Turkish border into Troy, she took us to the ancient city of Philippi. And at the spot in the river in which the tradition says Paul met Lydia and a Chapel-Baptistery dedicated to the Apostle Paul, Ann Story brought the Word of God during our daily devotional. After our visit to Philippi, we begin to travel toward the coastal city of Kavalla known in the Bible with the name of Neapolis and the place Paul landed from his trip coming from Troas. As we begin to have a bus tour of the city the bus driver begin to get agitated against the tour guide because she told him to drive around the narrow streets of the city. This man clearly was a sexist unwilling to take orders from a woman. The voice of the driver begins to raise decibels quickly to the point Bob Tuttle have to intervene. The tour guide was embarrassed and apologizes many times, although it was not her fault. Nonetheless, this was the first of several times we had issues with Mr. Demetree.

Once we got into our hotel room I was impressed. I think I got the best view of the whole group since I could see the old city built on the hills at my left and the Aegean Sea at my right side. However, at dinner time I was ready to get back into Turkey since I have an Atkins diet and I was able to eat a lot in Turkey, but in my first night in Greece the only thing I was able to eat was a few pieces of lamb in a tiny stick.

January 12^th

Hungry and tired I wake up to find out that for breakfast the hotel had cookies, cakes, and all sort of things I could not eat. Thank God for the almonds I had purchased at the Turkish border that became my breakfast that morning. But all of that food suffering would end in a few hours. Bob Tuttle wake up with a sore throat; a cold was about to make a visit to his body. Nonetheless, we got into the bus and begin our traveling to the place in my opinion is the best city of Greece, Thessaloniki.

We arrived to Thessaloniki and I was shocked to see people living behind the city walls because it was the very first time I saw a biblical city active and thriving in its original location. The previous cities we had visited were ruins with a modern settlement nearby and in some instances; they had change their original names. And there it was Thessaloniki, the capital of Macedonia and the second largest city of Greece with a population of over one million inhabitants.

We visited Jason House (Acts 17:1-9) which is today part of an ancient church complex administrated by the Greek Orthodox Church, the ancient Roman Agora ruins, and the Basilica of St. Sophia in which Sarah Campbell delivered her sermon. Afterwards, we told Sarah she was the first woman to deliver a sermon within the walls of a Greek Orthodox Church in its history. Then, we went to the Archeological Museum of the city in which they have expositions from the archaic period until the byzantine time. After that we try to get into the St. George church, but the church was closed to the public. By that time Bob Tuttle was really quiet because the cold was taking over his body. Thus, we decided to take the rest of the day off to rest, do shopping, or eat gyros. I did the third option. GOD BLESS THESSALONIKI’S GYROS!!!!

That afternoon I went to Dr. Tuttle’s room and check on him, I gave him some Day Quil medication and some drops of the olive leaf I take every morning and then we walked throughout the city. That evening Dr. Tuttle did not teach his class since we had scheduled a visit to the Thessaloniki Free Methodist Church. Half of the group accompanied me under a heavy rain throughout the streets until we got to the small church. There, we were able to meet sisters and brothers from Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, and Nigeria. The highlight of the service was when we begin to sing amazing Grace in our home tongue. It was so beautiful to hear the different languages getting mixed in the air and brought tears to most of our eyes. At the end of the service we prayed for each other and for Dr. Tuttle.

January 13^th

We begin January 13^th with a visit to Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great and from there we make a stop at the city of Berea (Acts 17:10-12). There, at the steps of where tradition says the Apostle Paul spoke, brother John Tinnell brought a homage to Dr. Bob Tuttle, comparing him with Paul that made tearful every eye of the audience. At the end, Bob says; “This is the best eulogy in life I ever had. When I die Steve Harper will be preaching in my funeral, but I want Tinnell bringing a eulogy like this one. “

From Berea, we got on the road again, traveling this time to the monasteries of Meteora. Wow!!! There is no picture or video in the world that will make justice to the beauty and the workmanship made at these monasteries. And the view from the top of these mountains is incredible. We stayed overnight at a hotel closed by which in my opinion was the best hotel of the whole trip. Rhonda Howard brought the Word of God from a fireplace at an area next to the bar and it was beautiful to all of us be sitting by the fire in a cold night listening the message of the Lord. I also remember opening the balcony door at 9:00 P.M. and seen a full moon light and the stars shinning over the mountain and one of the monasteries that was in our view. I felt sad that Ada wasn’t with me the see such beauty.

January 14^th

From Meteora we traveled for several hours through narrowed roads until we got to our next destination, the famous sanctuary of Delphi, known by the ancient Greeks as the “Center of the Earth.” We spent time at the museum and then at the archeological site. As a matter of fact, some of us was able to find the cave in which the “Oracle” was said. From Delphi we traveled to the capital city of Greece, Athens and pastor Mark Barfield spoke the message from the Lord, followed by the best teaching from Dr. Bob Tuttle. It was a wonderful time with the Lord at this hotel in the center of Athens.

January 15^th

Thankful that we will be staying at the same hotel for three days we begin our visit of the city of Athens. We got a bus tour of the city making a stop at the stadium two Olympic Games has been celebrated. Then we went to the Aeropagus. There, we visited the Parthenon; followed by Mars Hill, the place I had the honor to speak the Word of God. Since I have a big mouth, my voice was listened all over the place to the point some of the tourists joined us to listen what I was saying.

After our time at Mars Hill we visited the Athens Agora and took pictures of an old church that was built during the byzantine period, followed by a visit to a Museum. From there we went to have lunch and paid 9.00 Euros for a Gyro to find out that across the street we could buy them for 3.00 Euros.

We were supposed to have the rest of the day off, but three quarters of our group decided to stick with Bob Tuttle and we visited the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Aeropagus Museum, and do some shopping in our way back to the hotel. That evening we had a healing service led by Dr. Tuttle in which we prayed for the healing of Steve and Pam Williams, Michelle, and many other people.

January 16^th

We spent our last day in Greece visiting the ancient city of Corinth. In our way we made our first stop at the Corinth Canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Then, in our way to the Museum and archeological site Dr. Tuttle noticed a small wall in a top of a mountain. He asked the tour guide about what it was and she told him it was the Acropolis of Corinth. Immediately he told the tour guide and the bus driver to take us there. Thus, we made a detour to this citadel making this visit even more special. The bus begins the climb to the mountain in a very narrow road without guardrails. And as we moved upward the view of the coast was even more majestic. By the time we got to the point the bus could not drive any further. Dr. Tuttle jumps out of the bus and quickly begin to walk uphill toward the walls of the citadel. The temperature was cold and it was breezy, nonetheless we continue moving forward. At the end, Dr. Tuttle got to the top first than anyone within 10 minutes, the rest of us endured a walk that took us 20 minutes to get to the same spot.

After our visited Corinth’s Citadel, we went to the museum and archeological site and had a service at the same place the Apostle Paul was brought in front of the Governor Gallio (Acts 18:12-17) in which brother Allan Tarr brought the message of God for all of us.

Once we returned to Athens, that evening we had a communion service led by Dr. Tuttle, Pastor Sarah Campbell and myself concluding in this way the portion of Turkey-Greece of this trip. The next morning, Dr. Tuttle and 13 of the travelers left the hotel at 3:00 A.M. and the rest of us were transported to the airport at 8:00 A.M. Two of our travelers took a flight to Crete in order to continue their visit in Greece, another couple went to New Jersey in a different flight and nine of us flew in a Delta flight from Athens to New York.