Turkey 2005
If this is Thursday then this must be ... somewhere between Antakya and Izmir. A very gruelling journey of some 13 hours by bad roads has bought us to Afyon, our night's stop before continuing tomorrow morning for 4 hours to Izmir and our next (and last) three concerts.
The Antakya amphitheatre concert went well with about 600 people coming in to see us during the evening and a large number of surveys filled out. Last night's concert at a restaurant in what seemed to be a remote village in the foothills around Antakya actually attracted more than 300 people and resulted in a another large cache of surveys.
Surveys you ask? Yes, the primary means of contact with the concert-goers is a survey asking various questions about the concert, the person's interest in the subject of the songs (Jesus, of course!) and finally asking if they want to be contacted. These then go to the local church organizing the concert and are followed up by them - they are also used by the Turkey Bible Correspondence Course program run by David Wilson, the tour manager (and MUCH MUCH more).
Izmir will involve three concerts - one at the US army base, one on the steps of a town-centre church (where I played two years ago), and one in the amphitheatre in the middle of town (where I played last year).
You wanna meet the band? Here goes:
Vince is the leader, wrote a number of the songs, plays keyboards and guitar and sings. He is a house-rennovator and music pastor at his church in Canada in his other life!
Pauline is the lead singer. A wife and mother of four with a superb voice, we tease her that she acts like a diva but she certainly does not. She leads worship at her church in Canada.
Diane is backing singer - Pauline's sister-in-law (they married brothers) although her husband died of a brain tumor about 18 months ago. Full time mother of four.
Pete on drums - a Canadian policeman who woke up this morning with BPPV - his first ever attack but boy am I familiar with the complaint. Look it up on Google if you want to know more and please pray for him.
Dorothy, Pete's wife, on backup keyboards, voice, dance, drama, etc. One HECK of a testimony - oh, and a practitioner of acupuncture!
Charles on guitar - he's a Kiwi married to a Yank! They live here in Turkey and are preparing for full time ministry with the Taco organization.
Craig is the illusionist (who's "cut the hand off" trick really DID go wrong the other night - with no serious consequences thankfully). He's from Phoenix Arizona and full time on the staff of Campus Crusade.
Bill - the sound man from Pauline, Pete and Dorothy's church - a very very funny guy with an amazing faith strengthened by passing through the trauma (and removal) of a HUGE brain tumor ten years ago and finding out that he is gluten-intolerant about 18 months ago.
Anders is a Danish intern for Taco who is the deputy tour manager - great guy with an unexpectedly refined sense of humour!
Michelle is the other deputy tour manager who is full-time on the Taco mission team and comes from South Africa. An indefatigable driver who speaks 5 languages (including fluent Turkish, thankfully).
So quite an international feel to the tour party, no?
So - prayers for those three concerts, band-member health (especially Pete) and endurance (it's VERY hot) - and a special subject: I received an email from my company today saying that I have to go to Texas on 27th June for an as-yet undetermined amount of time. That clashes with the Algeria tour (which may be cancelled anyway) and with a Passagers tour in France (which doubles as Family vacation). So I need many prayers that I will make the right response to this in God's eyes, even if that means a response that is detrimental to my career.
The Antakya amphitheatre concert went well with about 600 people coming in to see us during the evening and a large number of surveys filled out. Last night's concert at a restaurant in what seemed to be a remote village in the foothills around Antakya actually attracted more than 300 people and resulted in a another large cache of surveys.
Surveys you ask? Yes, the primary means of contact with the concert-goers is a survey asking various questions about the concert, the person's interest in the subject of the songs (Jesus, of course!) and finally asking if they want to be contacted. These then go to the local church organizing the concert and are followed up by them - they are also used by the Turkey Bible Correspondence Course program run by David Wilson, the tour manager (and MUCH MUCH more).
Izmir will involve three concerts - one at the US army base, one on the steps of a town-centre church (where I played two years ago), and one in the amphitheatre in the middle of town (where I played last year).
You wanna meet the band? Here goes:
Vince is the leader, wrote a number of the songs, plays keyboards and guitar and sings. He is a house-rennovator and music pastor at his church in Canada in his other life!
Pauline is the lead singer. A wife and mother of four with a superb voice, we tease her that she acts like a diva but she certainly does not. She leads worship at her church in Canada.
Diane is backing singer - Pauline's sister-in-law (they married brothers) although her husband died of a brain tumor about 18 months ago. Full time mother of four.
Pete on drums - a Canadian policeman who woke up this morning with BPPV - his first ever attack but boy am I familiar with the complaint. Look it up on Google if you want to know more and please pray for him.
Dorothy, Pete's wife, on backup keyboards, voice, dance, drama, etc. One HECK of a testimony - oh, and a practitioner of acupuncture!
Charles on guitar - he's a Kiwi married to a Yank! They live here in Turkey and are preparing for full time ministry with the Taco organization.
Craig is the illusionist (who's "cut the hand off" trick really DID go wrong the other night - with no serious consequences thankfully). He's from Phoenix Arizona and full time on the staff of Campus Crusade.
Bill - the sound man from Pauline, Pete and Dorothy's church - a very very funny guy with an amazing faith strengthened by passing through the trauma (and removal) of a HUGE brain tumor ten years ago and finding out that he is gluten-intolerant about 18 months ago.
Anders is a Danish intern for Taco who is the deputy tour manager - great guy with an unexpectedly refined sense of humour!
Michelle is the other deputy tour manager who is full-time on the Taco mission team and comes from South Africa. An indefatigable driver who speaks 5 languages (including fluent Turkish, thankfully).
So quite an international feel to the tour party, no?
So - prayers for those three concerts, band-member health (especially Pete) and endurance (it's VERY hot) - and a special subject: I received an email from my company today saying that I have to go to Texas on 27th June for an as-yet undetermined amount of time. That clashes with the Algeria tour (which may be cancelled anyway) and with a Passagers tour in France (which doubles as Family vacation). So I need many prayers that I will make the right response to this in God's eyes, even if that means a response that is detrimental to my career.
posted by Martin Bartlett at 10:21 PM
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