The Week After the Earthquakes
February 2023
“A Turkish pastor in that region and his wife died in the earthquake while their 10-year old son survived.”
“A Turkish believer that we know lost several friends who were staying in a hotel that collapsed.”
“Today we witnessed a couple grieving in the street as they received messages, likely informing them of those who had died. It was heart-wrenching.”
“Someone we know has lost 24 relatives in the earthquakes.”
Our hearts break as we read these reports from our global workers in the region of the February 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Immediately after the earthquakes, the top priority became pulling survivors from the rubble before the freezing temperatures got the best of them. The next priorities were providing medical care, food, and shelter to the survivors whose homes were gone. The roads leading towards the epicenter were full of vans and trucks, but traffic was slow-moving because the earthquake damage destroyed the roads.
One man who went to the site the next day said the destruction was unbelievable, and that there weren’t any government agencies helping in that area yet. Victims who were lucky enough to be found had to be transported long distances to hospitals in other cities. It seemed like every hour the death toll climbed higher and higher.
This was Turkey’s worst natural disaster in decades. The Turkish government shut down its schools for an entire week and declared a week of mourning.
Believers in Turkey have mobilized quickly, and Christian organizations have already sent countless vans with supplies, equipment, and volunteers to the area. Donation collection centers have popped up in the surrounding regions, and Turks everywhere have been buying up blankets, dry goods, jackets, flashlights, tents, etc. to send towards the epicenter. People have distributed blankets and jackets to those staying out on the streets. It has truly been a country-wide effort. News stations are calling the effort "One Heart."
Several hotels and individuals are offering free housing throughout the region. One Ukrainian volunteer network in the area is encouraging its members to give to the relief effort, saying, "Turkey did not turn away from us in our time of need. It is our turn to help them."
Global church, we need to pray.
- Pray for God to bring healing to the countless survivors who are grieving.
- Pray for God to direct supplies and aid to where it is needed most.
- Pray for God to use His church in a way that glorifies Jesus.
- Pray that survivors would realize that the Lord is the only one who can meet all their needs: For those who are wounded, He is the Healer. For those who are grieving, He is the Comforter. For those who are rescued, He is the Sustainer. For those who are realizing life’s fragility, God is the only Giver of hope that lasts into eternity.
More Stories
When Anna* was challenged to think about her goals for 2026, she sensed a clear nudge from God: begin preparing material to train others....
February 17, 2026
“In the 1980s, if you walked into a Christian bookstore in France, you’d find maybe two shelves of Christian books,” Florent...
February 13, 2026
As someone who’s spent much of his life planting churches in Asia, Ted now serves as the Director of Encompass...
February 10, 2026
Reaching the unreached is a beautiful idea, but it’s a lot easier said than done. Even so, Auburn Grace Community...
February 9, 2026
“I had no idea what Japan was,” Kya says. “Then my parents took me when I was 10, and now I wake up every day and think about...
January 30, 2026
Mika* grew up in Japan as part of a family that was culturally Buddhist, yet God gently placed people in her life who...
January 29, 2026
Grace Church in Simi Valley, California has been partnering with Encompass for over 60 years now, making us their primary missions agency. That...
January 23, 2026
The environment a child grows up in becomes their baseline for what’s normal. As you can imagine, children growing up overseas often form a...
January 23, 2026
“I never set out to become a crisis response person,” says Barb. In fact, if you had asked her younger...
January 21, 2026
