Osman has kind eyes, a servant’s heart, and calloused hands. He works for a construction company in the New York City area, which is home to the largest concentration of Turks in America.

Osman was raised as a secular Muslim in Istanbul, Turkey, and like most Turks, he believed that “to be Turkish is to be Muslim.”

When he was 11 years old, Osman began questioning his beliefs. Reading the Qur’an left him feeling empty and uncomfortable. The Allah he read about now seemed distant.

After reading the Incil (New Testament), Osman’s belief in and love for Jesus grew, but the teenage believer struggled to find fellowship in Istanbul. Turkey has ancient Christian roots, but today the country is 99 percent Muslim and increasingly intolerant of Christians like Osman, who moved to New York City in 2003.

Osman met a man at a gas station who told him about a Turkish fellowship in New Jersey. His prayers were answered. Here, finally, was the loving Christian community he sought since meeting Jesus as a young man.

Years after being baptized and joining the church, Osman now serves as the congregation’s pastor. This passionate follower of Jesus is a bold witness to unbelievers during a time when more Turks are questioning their nation’s political version of Islam and fleeing to places like New York and New Jersey.

God is preparing a generation of Turks to hear and respond to the Gospel!

Pray that more Turks in the NYC area find Jesus and share His light with other Turks.

• Pray that God’s living and active Word pierces the hearts of Turks who read it (Hebrews 4:12).
• Pray that Turkish believers in the New York/New Jersey region seek the One who gives them strength through all circumstances.
• Ask God to raise up laborers to assist in planting more indigenous churches among Turks who live in diaspora settings.