“Hello, I am Halil*.

I was born in a Muslim family. The first time I had a seizure was on the morning of June 1, 2020, during the pandemic. I was on my way to the bathroom when I fell and lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes, there were paramedics around me. They picked me up and took me to the hospital.

The doctors diagnosed epilepsy. Everything looked normal in the test results, but since the seizures continued to happen, they gave me medication that I would use for a long time. Thanks to the medication, I no longer had seizures.

I was someone who spent a lot of time on social media. I came across a video mocking the church. I was watching church videos on the internet, and I found some videos that explained basic Christianity. I watched one video and the things I saw started to seem true. I decided to do more research.

I am someone who likes to read books, so I wanted to read the Bible. I found it online for free and started reading it. I knew the Quran superficially before, but when I read the Bible, I said this is the book that contains the truth. I read the Torah and the Psalms all summer and when I made the connection between them, I decided to go to a church.

I found a church in Istanbul and started attending. The people there prayed for me and after the prayers I started to feel better. When I left for my compulsory two-year military service, I lost my connection with the church. After I came back from the army, I started watching Christian videos. Then I realized there was a church near me, and I thought I should go.

I met a Christian brother there in August 2023. I talked to him and started going to church regularly, and eventually I believed and was baptized. I talk to the Holy Spirit all the time and sometimes I even feel him. Glory be to the Lord, I am healthy. I wake up happy in the morning and start the day well; I finish it reading verses from the holy book and praying. Glory and praise to the Lord.”

*Names changed for security, representative photo.