The First Church in Ayvacik

My team and I have been in Ayvacik, Turkey for about three weeks now. We took a bus from Istanbul and have been enjoying ministry here in our small town. Our ministry partner received the calling to plant a church in Ayvacik, so our team has been doing manual labor work and we focus on the church building three days of the week. From Mon-Wed, the team heads to the building that will soon become a church, and we paint the entire building.

The first day we went and saw the church, it was amazing to picture how some day soon, this place would be a house or worship and prayer. It was amazing to picture believers who are hungry for the Word of God to walk in through the doors. It was amazing to picture teams coming in from all over the world and having a secure place to call home for their time in Turkey. So for those three days, we have painted. With four floors, about 15 rooms including the actual sanctuary, several bathrooms, hallways, and ceilings, this job has been tough physically. But each day it is a reward to come home and feeling like you are getting closer to the goal. With our time wrapping up in Ayvacik, we have been working hard to finish the entire building!

A sweet moment we got to have during ministry was hosting the first church service in the building. Our ministry host said something that truly hit me. “This is the biggest church attendance that Ayvacik has ever had.” WOAH. There were different countries represented as well, Turkey, Bulgaria, United States, Australia, AND two of our Muslim friends attended the service and heard the vision for the church. It was absolutely mind-blowing to think of what this church meant. We wait in anticipation for this building to be finished, so that the Gospel could be preached, so worship could overflow out the windows, teams be going out on the streets and meeting people, for the spirit of deception to be triumphed by the Spirit of Truth!  The Lord is going to use this church and its leaders for GREAT things. And it truly is humbling to be a part of the labor process for it.

With about a week left of ministry, we want to finish all the painting that the building. We pray that this church continues to grow with local believers from Ayvacik. Please pray for the rest of the process of finishing the church. Pray for leaders and locals to be raised. Pray for Ayvacik and the Muslim believers, so that their eyes could be opened and hearts receive the Gospel. Pray for physical strength for my team.

Also, some exciting news! My family is heading to Costa Rica for ten days on a missions trip with my home church!! So exciting to hear my family go once again this year while I am on the field as well. If you would love to hear more about it, please reach out to either of them. And if you would love and feel led to give financially for their mission trip, I will link all of their donation links! Thank you for supporting the Quintana family!!!

https://denverunited.gomethod.app/!/26235/2023-costa-rica/participants/287645/donate (Momma Q)

https://denverunited.gomethod.app/!/26235/2023-costa-rica/participants/286158/donate (Geny)

https://denverunited.gomethod.app/!/26235/2023-costa-rica/participants/252433/donate?fbclid=IwAR16Y6UJKKb1FUzmOfc6VgSAXTQNJm9JCq1pU6vQDq-STae7XGWFKRsSdvo (Sarita)

https://denverunited.gomethod.app/!/26235/2023-costa-rica/participants/295001/donate (Dad)

Blessings,

Joana Quintana