Several months ago a long-time friend and supporter called me (Jonathan) up and asked for advice about a book he was hoping to publish. Since I have published well over a dozen books of my own, I was able to provide him with the information he needed. Sometime during our exchange, he suggested that I teach a workshop at the International Conference On Missions (ICOM) on the subject of independent publishing. Since my wife and I were already scheduled to be at the conference to represent Key Communications, I decided to explore the possibility.

I’m excited to report that ICOM accepted my proposal. On Friday, November 15, I will be leading a workshop titled, “Publishing For The Rest Of Us.”

We live in exciting times in which technology has made it possible for even those of us who have little chance of being selected by the traditional publishers can still reach a world-wide audience with what we have to say. However, no road to publication is simple. We still have to be willing to put in the effort and time to create a product which is appealing to those whom we are trying to reach. In the workshop I’ll discuss some of the tools and resources which can help in the process of taking a raw manuscript and transforming it into an attractive book. I’ll also discuss various methods of distribution.

And, oh yes! If you would like to talk to me about Key Communications and the work we do to proclaim the Gospel in the Urdu language, come to booth 1322 in the exhibit hall!

The first two times the Turner family went to Pakistan, it was by tramp freighter. I, Jonathan, was too young the first time around to really appreciate the experience. During the second voyage, however, eleven-year-old me fell in love with all things nautical. I spent hours just watching the prow of the ship plow through the ocean swells. The five minutes or so the first mate allowed me to take the helm was a never forgotten thrill. (I was just tall enough to see the compass card!) I even received my first lesson in acoustics down in the engine room – it was incredible how the noise level dropped when you poked your head into the com booth. I loved watching the spin of the propeller shaft, refueling operations, sailors chipping paint, stevedores shifting cargo, flying fish … The Psalmist knew what he was talking about when he wrote, “They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.” (Psalm 107:23-24 KJV)

The romance of the sea was tempered by a reminder of its cruelty. One day near the Azores Archipelago, we passed a wreck. The ship’s hulk pointing out of the still waters of the Atlantic looked distinctly out of place. As I recall, she’d gutted herself on a reef just a few days before. Her stern was resting on the bottom and the buoyancy of the forward holds lifted her prow out of the waves at about a 70 degree angle. Though awed by the sight, the adventurer in me wondered why somebody hadn’t already claimed her for salvage.

Thinking of salvage, it occurs to me that is what God has done for us. The Apostle Paul writes, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14 NIV) Not only has God salvaged us, He has set us up in the salvage business. Paul uses the analogy of a shipwreck to describe those who compromise their faith and conscience (1 Timothy 1:19 some “…have suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith”).

A number of things must come together for salvage to occur.

1) Someone must recognize the value of the wreck. In regard to value, in His parables Jesus left no doubt about the worth of the ‘lost.’ His parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son make that abundantly clear (see Luke chapter 15).

2) There must be an underwriter to finance the salvage operation. As far as underwriting the endeavor, God has already done it. “For God so loved he world that he gave…” (John 3:16).

3) Someone must be willing to undertake the work. Finding people to undertake the work is a little bit more problematic. There is a shortage. Jesus told His disciples to ask for workers (Matthew 9:38), then sent them out in answer to their own prayers (Matthew 10:5). The truth is that God recruits all of Jesus’ followers to join in the work of salvage, but we are sometimes hesitant or slow to respond.

4) The right tools and techniques must be used. As for tools, God equips and trains each one of us for the role He has chosen us to fulfill (Romans 12:3, Ephesians 4:11-13, 2 Peter 1:3).

Just as certain salvage operations require special pumps and other esoteric equipment, the Lord has given us at Key Communications equipment and knowledge not commonly available to others. WE are the specialists needed for the particular reefs of the Urdu speaking world!

As with any salvage operation, the divers wielding cutting torches couldn’t work without an extensive support team. YOU are our support team.

Thank you for keeping up the flow of oxygen to those of us who are in the depths shoveling sand and cutting away wreckage! Your part is as vital as ours. Only TOGETHER can we retrieve what is lost from the waves of destruction!

Saleem begins literacy class: Many villagers don’t know how to read, so it is impossible for them to study the Bible on their own. To meet this need, in the last several months we’ve distributed Audio Bibles to about 50 families. Saleem has also started adult literacy classes for some couples in the church he leads. Please pray for these efforts. Whether we teach the Scriptures to others in person or by means of technology, one thing is sure: There is no way that we could have an impact on the other side of the world without you! Thank you for your generous support.

New part-time staff member: We’ve hired an Urdu speaking lady to work for Key Com two days per week this year. She helps us record our radio programs, works on new material for our website for listeners, and does translation. She’s a gem!

New Commentary in Urdu: With the help of LATM we were able publish Jonathan’s 600 page Urdu commentary on the Gospel of Luke. The book is based on the expository programs we broadcast.

Local Outreach: Last December, Saleem distributed promotional calendars and a set of 12 books to representatives of 60 churches from the Jaranwala and Faisalabad areas. He also told them about Awaz-e-Haq’s website and radio programs. An important part of our mission is to strengthen and provide resources for the local churches, as well as outreach to unbelievers.

Radio: We continue to air 15-minute programs into Pakistan and northern India via Trans World Radio’s medium wave transmitters.

Internet Radio: Our two streaming stations run 24/7. Our monitoring software reports that over 27,000 people from over 150 countries have tuned in to one of our streams. On average they listened for 18 minutes. People from 75 countries have listened to our second stream.

App: We were also able to publish an app so people can listen to our stream directly from their Android devices, such as a phone or a tablet. If you know someone who would benefit from it, you can download the app from Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nuttywings.awaz). If the link doesn’t work, a search for “awaz-e-haq” will take you to the right place.

Social Media: Two people that I know personally are sending one of our programs each day to their social media groups. I’ve heard of several other people who are doing the same. In this way, thousands are hearing who, for whatever reason, don’t listen online.

Website: People are also visiting our website for listeners (www.awazehaq.com). The Urdu side of the site has logged traffic from well over 3,000 different addresses and over 900 on the English side. While on the site, people downloaded 578 of our books.

It is because of you, and your prayers and financial support, that we are able to shine a bright light all over the world.

Bryan Lee Turner was born in Grants Pass, Oregon, on August 3, 1926, to George and Emily (Banta) Turner. He grew up mostly in Orland, CA. He became a Christian at the age of eleven, against his father’s wishes.
Lee graduated from San Jose Bible College in 1947. While there, he met and married Geraldine Cosmey in 1945. While at San Jose, Lee became fascinated by the Islamic religion that considered Jesus a prophet.
After graduation, Lee planted the Minnehaha church in Vancouver, where four of his five children were born. During this time, he read an article in Reader’s Digest about the Muslim country of Pakistan that intrigued him. In 1956 he moved his family to Philadelphia to begin graduate studies in South Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, with a view toward going to Pakistan as a missionary.
In 1960, the Turner family arrived in Pakistan, where Lee almost died of typhoid, but went on to learn the Urdu language and begin teaching about Jesus. He baptized many into Christ and established churches which still exist today.
Illiteracy among many of those he taught inspired him to record lessons that could be listened to on tape players. Later, these recordings morphed into radio broadcasts that were aimed toward Urdu speakers in Pakistan and India. When he returned to the United States in 1976, the radio work continued through Key Communications, first in Seattle, and then in Portland. It continues to this day under the direction of his son, Jonathan. Lee continued to study and write for Key Communications (with the help of secretaries) up until the day before he died, in spite of being confined to bed and in great pain for a number of years.
Lee died in the wee hours of February 24, 2023, and went home to be with Jesus whom he had served since he was a boy.

Lee’s memorial service will be held at 1:00pm Pacific Daylight Time on April 22, 2023 at the Crossroads Church, located at 2050 NE 102nd Ave., Portland, OR 97220.