There appears to be no new developments in Andrew Brunson's trial or, for that matter, his circumstances in prison. And the evidence that is supposed to convict him of espionage, among other things, has still not been presented to him, even though he has been in prison for more than a year.
Andrew gives thanks for not being forgotten
Norine, Andrew's wife, has released a message from Andrew thanking him for his continued prayers:
"I am deeply grateful to everyone who has prayed for me. This trial - the time in prison - has stretched me far more than I could have ever imagined.
I have been very weak. I have doubted a lot and have felt very alone. I know that God's grace sustains me even when I don't feel it, and I know that the prayers of God's people surround me and give me strength. A big fear has been that I would be forgotten in prison. Thank you for not forgetting! It is a great encouragement to know that there are people praying for me - it reminds me that I am not alone and that I should always stand firm with my face toward God. Thank you for standing with me in this most difficult time.
Many blessings to you.
Andrew"
Andrew and family experience massive support
The whole situation, which affects not only innocent Andrew Brunson, but also Norine and their children, seems to bring them all to tears. Norine writes:
"Over the past month, tears have been shed due to a series of disappointments, including missing our daughter's graduation from university. The fact that these disappointments hit right around Christmas made it that much harder. Yesterday was Andrew's birthday. He was arrested at 48. He just turned 50 years old. We never imagined a birthday like this."
Andrew, an American pastor who has served the Turkish people for 23 years, was detained by Turkish police on October 7, 2016. He is accused of gathering political and military information for espionage purposes in order to overthrow the Turkish parliament and government and undermine the constitutional order of the state. If convicted on these charges, he faces up to four life sentences behind bars. Andrew pleads not guilty to all charges. On September 28, 2017, the President of Turkey offered the United States a prisoner exchange. Turkey offered to exchange Andrew Brunson for Fethullah Gülen, who is accused of being behind the failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016. In doing so, Turkey is trying to use the priest as a bargaining chip in its major political conflict with the US.
You can help Andrew and his family by
- Pray for Andrew and his family
- Write to the Turkish authorities and ask them to release Andrew.
Click here to download the appeal letter.
Sign and date the appeal letter and send it scanned to Danish European Mission at: info@forfulgtekristne.dk or by post to Danish European Mission, Drejervej 15, 2400 Copenhagen NV. Danish European Mission will then forward the appeal to the Turkish Ministry of Interior.
Click here to see the appeal letter in Danish.