Friday was a half day of school for the kids and a teacher work day for us. Our students went home around noon, and we were treated to a lunch provided by the parent association. Most of us were working in our classrooms when we received the news that the U.S. Embassy in Ankara had been bombed.

There were a lot of unanswered questions. Some initial online reports said many were killed, some that one or two were killed, many were injured, several were injured, it was a suicide bomber, someone just threw a package… We were concerned for our kids and their parents.

We later learned the embassy had been hit by a suicide bomber. The man killed a Turkish guard and injured several others. (Read the CNN report at this link.) A Reuters article said “the bomber was a member of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), a far-left group which is virulently anti-U.S. and anti-NATO and is listed as a terrorist organization by Washington.”

Thank you for all of the messages asking if we were okay. We so appreciate your prayers, concern, and support.

The embassy is far enough away from our neighborhood that we did not feel threatened the day of the event. We felt and continue to feel safe. In talking with family, we were reminded events like this could and unfortunately have happened everywhere in the world – riots near colleges, extremists in big cities, and shootings in places you’d never imagine a tragedy occurring.

We rest in God’s good and perfect will. We will be cautious, and ask that you please remember our school and this country in your prayers.

PRAYER REQUESTS

1. Safety for the country of Turkey.
2. The safety of our students and their parents: Many of our students’ families work for embassies and government offices.
3. Please also pray for those that were injured and for the friends, family, and coworkers of the Turkish guard Mustafa Akarsu who lost his life. He is survived by his wife, an 18-year-old son, and a 15-year-old daughter.