MARRIED TO A MARTYR
A story of tragedy and hope
By Jonathan Carswell with Joanna Wright. Authentic. 138 pages. £8.99
ISBN 978-1-85078-785-3
Married to a Martyr is a short biography of Susanne Geske whose husband, Tilmann Geske was martyred in April 2007 in Turkey.
This is a moving account of Susanne’s journey with God, from, as a new believer in her early 20s offering everything to God, through to her life as a widow and single parent to three children. Susanne and Tilmann Geske met while working at a church in Landau, Germany and were married in 1992. The authors record the increasing burden the Geskes had for Muslims, their training and eventual call to Adana, Turkey, in 1997. Tilmann ran a language school and undertook translation work, while Susanne raised their three children, using the many opportunities children bring to make contacts with other women and children. In 2002, the Geskes moved to Malatya in SE Turkey to carry on the work God had called them to do. Within five years Tilmann and two Christian colleagues were martyred. Tilmann was clearly a much loved husband and father, with a gentle, quiet nature and deep spirituality. It is very moving to read about the grace and strength God gave to Susanne and the children to bear such a painful loss, and their desire to offer forgiveness to those responsible for Tilmann’s murder.
