‘I was angry at God!’

Sule Sonbehar, 26, is Correspondence Manager in the office of Agapé. She is a member of the Anatolian Protestant Church – a Vineyard Church, a charismatic stream with which the late John Wimber was closely associated. Here she recounts her Christian testimony
Photo: Sule Sonbehar is Correspondence Manager with Agape. Raised in a Muslim family, she was particularly struck when she first read in the Gospel that ‘God is love’. She was also amazed at the love people showed for each other at the Vineyard church where she began worshipping – even when meeting somebody for the first time. Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: UBS/ Dag Smemo (TUR05DJ-143.JPG)
Sule Sonbehar is Correspondence Manager with Agape. Raised in a Muslim family, she was particularly struck when she first read in the Gospel that ‘God is love’. She was also amazed at the love people showed for each other at the Vineyard church where she began worshipping – even when meeting somebody for the first time. Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: UBS/ Dag Smemo (TUR05DJ-143.JPG)

TURKEY — I was 14 when my cousin first told me about the Gospel. She was seven years older than me and was a Christian but I was quite close to her. Her conversion had caused quite an angry reaction from her family. We are from a Muslim background. I remember my father’s reaction: ‘My daughter will never be like that!’ he said.

That year my parents got divorced and their separation meant that my home situation became quite complicated. I became angry at God. Why should this have happened to me? I was not evil! And God was supposed to send good things!

In spite of my cousin’s efforts I was not interested in the Gospel. But at the same I was interested: I felt I should read it in order to be able to say that I had read it.

Easter came

So I made a start on it and as I read it I became convicted. It particularly struck me to read that ‘God is love’.

One day as I was reading it I found myself kneeling and praying to Jesus. And at that time I had never been to church in my life!

When Easter came around my cousin took me to her church for the first time – she wanted me to see what a Protestant church was like. My family were angry when they found out, but for a time I started going regularly.

I was amazed at the love they showed for each other at this church – even when they were meeting somebody for the first time.

Source of love

Having seen what the church was like, I began reading the Gospel more carefully. I saw that, as 1 John says, God is the source of love.

Looking back, I didn’t become a believer suddenly, but the more I went to church the more I felt as if I was a Christian like the people around me.

At that stage I didn’t find I was filled with questions, either. It didn’t matter to me that Mohammed wasn’t mentioned in the Bible, for instance. I just believed that Jesus loved me so much that he was prepared to give up his life to take away my sins.

Small staff, big ministry

Up a couple of flights of stairs to a small office in Istanbul are four staff who work for Agapé. Thanks to some up-to-date technology, the modest-looking organisation can run a 24-hour Christian radio station over the Internet, make and distribute Gospel music CDs, and send out packages containing the Jesus film, the Turkish New Testament, a DVD entitled Paul in Anatolia and a catalogue of other Christian literature, all free of charge. The Bible Society co-operates extensively with Agapé and over the past five years has provided it with 250,000 small editions of the Turkish New Testament. It is due to fulfil an order for 100,000 more.

Although I was 14 when I became a Christian, I wasn’t baptised until six years later. I didn’t tell my parents for a long time. When I finally did tell them, I went to live with my cousin, leaving them a letter!

Help a friend

I used to serve in my church before coming to Agapé. I originally came here to help a friend but I got involved in it and I became convinced I should work here and they offered me the position of Correspondence Manager.

I live with my father. Things are difficult between my mother and me but it’s got nothing to do with my faith. (WR 400/23 - 03.06) [3 photos]