Lonnie and Margie Smith - January 09

Janlet 09
South O' Border
DR. & MRS LONNIE C. SMITH Sr.
Missionaries to Mexico
Hebrews 6:10


A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPER NEW YEAR

Dear Friends in Christ,

Psa. 126: “The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad”.

Another year has quickly passed for the Lonnie C. Smith family, but it has been a GREAT year in the Lord. Our family has been blessed with health and happiness.

God continues to pour out His blessings upon the ministry He has given us. Both of our sons: Lonnie Jr. and Ronnie with their families are still being used of the Lord to reach souls. It was so very refreshing to have the family together this Christmas.

God has allowed us as a family to have part in building 147 church and mission buildings. Each building houses a work for our Lord, each has a Mexican pastor who is supported by their church. Each church is a headquarters for missions. We have seen thousands of souls saved and after teaching in three different Bible Colleges and a youth camp for many years we have seen hundreds of young people surrender to full time service for our Lord.

Please be in prayer for the coming year of 2009. There are many needs in the work. We have asked for help in the work in Tlaxcala (listed as Oaxaca) where one of our “Timothy” is serving. The work needs property and a building. Also, we need to finish the construction in Matamoros. Due to the rise in cost of materials, the windows, doors and plastering has yet to be done. Pray for souls this year. Pray for DVBS needs again. Over 3,000 were saved in 2008 through this ministry.

Beloved, once again we thank you for your faithfulness in prayer and financial support for our ministry. We are praying for each of you during this difficult time.

Yours for Souls in Mexico,

Lonnie & Margie Smith

Bob & Betts Parschauer: European Update

AUSTRIA
Word of Life Germany and Austria will be working together as they host the Ski Camps at our property in Austria. Please pray for many who attend. Herwig and Claudia Lamb

BULGARIA
We are so thankful for the response of our Bible Club youth. We have two young adults at our Bible Institute in Ukraine, preparing to join our staff as missionaries. Please pray for our first winter camp this year in Bulgaria. Our great need is for a center in the Varna area where we can meet with our youth. Sergie and Tania Tyschenko

BALTIC COUNTRIES
We are so thankful for the friends who we are getting to know, who are assisting us in getting settled in Lithuania. We now have our visa's for the first two years, have found an apartment that we now call home and finally have a vehicle. Our first Bible Club has begun in September in a church in Vinius, where we have been working among the youth for this last year. Pray for us as we are still in Language study and already have so many opportunities. Mihai and Ana Laura Bucur


CZECH REPUBLIC
Wow! It is hard to believe we just had our fourth Wed. night camp fire. 21 accepted Christ in this camp. 76 have already been saved and 50 dedicated their lives to serve the Lord. Many more got saved during this summer, but our greatest experience was our first camp in Slovakia. 50 youth attended and 14 accepted Christ. Please pray for the follow up of these new converts. Many come from homes of unbelieving families and there are so few good churches to do the follow up that is needed. Rich and Alissa Hood

FRANCE
This summer during our 5 weeks of camp 252 teenagers attended the Word of Life France. 30 received Christ and many made life changing decisions in their walk with the Lord. Every year, more of our teens are heading to Word of Life Bible Institutes around the world and soon will be joining us in the work here in France. We had our largest ever Bible Club meeting in the Paris area with 140 teens from that area attending. What a great time of blessing we experienced. At the present time we are working hard to finish the renovations of our new Paris Youth Center, and hope to be open by next summer. Three large Word of Life Christmas concerts are scheduled in the Paris area with our sing team, just in time for the release of our first CD! In February we still hold our second winter Youth Bible Conference off-site, because it is already to large for our facilities! God is opening amazing doors. We appreciate so much your prayers for this growing work. Kris and Debbie Stout

GERMANY
This summer was a special summer for our team in Germany as the young third generation team was given the reigns in leading the youth camps. There were from 20-30 decisions made for Christ in every youth camp. What a joy it was to see a young Muslim teenager totally turn his life around, or a young gangster who had been involved in all kinds of criminal activities, as well as two young teenage girls who came from an orphanage. All of these going home with a totally new life in Christ. There were many young youth from Christian homes and good backgrounds who found Christ as well. One young lady who was witnessing at our Munich street meeting (one day is spent in street evangelism with every camp group) led a teenage girl to the Lord right on the street. 6010 people were blessed at one of our camp properties during the course of this year. This fall is very busy again with the Children's shows and Brass Christmas tour as well as the Winter camps in both Starnberg and The Manner in Kaernten Austria. Both centers are filling up quickly. Matt Hurja reports that the DTC program this year is going very well. Our goal is to stay focused on solid Biblical discipleship and growth in our lives of our students. Thanks for your prayers. The first summer of camps at Lade Koeris were great. Andy and Esther Wenzel

HUNGARY
Our camps last summer were filled to capacity with many decisions for Christ here in Hungary as well as Siberia. Our 15th year of Bible school opened with a special conference September 12-14. During these years 400 students from 27 countries have graduated and are now serving the Lord in all of those different countries. Right now, we have students from 12 countries at our Bible Institute. From Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Germany, the Netherlands, Uganda, Brazil, Canada, and USA. 170 leaders attended our annual Youth Leaders conference Sept. 26-28. The European missionary candidate school was held on our property in Oct. New missionaries were accepted for Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Uganda, and Serbia. We hosted our fall "Soccer Marathon" on October 6th with a record enrollment of teams for this event and many decisions for Christ. Our "Born Again Team, Children's Ministry, Sports Team, Bible Clubs, Music Teams, and Open Air Ministries" are all going strong this fall. Pray for many decisions for Christ. Also pray with us for the $9000 needed for a new van. Alex and Pam Konya

ITALY
This year has been packed with activities. May and June were filled with meetings, conferences, musicals, and open air evangelism. In July, the big event was our annual family day with 210 people in attendance. Then came the children's camp with 50 campers. 4 received Christ and 22 dedicated themselves to serve the Lord. There were 104 campers at the youth camp. Again, 3 received Christ and 61 dedications. Thank you for your prayers for my health. I am still struggling, but God is giving me strength to continue the work. Mario and Norma Portillo

KENYA
When we look back on the terrible events of last January, we can clearly see the hand of God in the things that happened to us. Phil. 1:12. This past August, we had day camps in the slums of Nairobi, because we could not use our property, duet safety concerns. We had 1080 kids and more than 100 decisions for Christ. One of the highlights was a Muslim girl who got saved and begged us to come back in December for the next camps. We have more request than we can handle for camps outside of our camp grounds. Please pray for wisdom as we talk to neighbors about returning to our property and for finances needed for our December camps. Chris and Theresa Mwalw'a

POLAND
What a great summer we had in youth camps and mission camps. 79 youth attended our camp with 26 receiving Christ. During the missions Evangelistic camps we spoke to 600 people personally on the streets of two cities and had an average of 150 people in attendance every night with evangelistic films and a salvation message. At the present time, we are doing Bible Clubs in 15 churches and are experiencing great results in many of these clubs. We have developed a new game called "Friends Feud" and this is attracting many new youth to the clubs. Just last week, one club with 11 youth invited their friends to this program and 35 of their friends came. We have just accepted 3 single people and once couple onto our staff this year to work with us in expanding our Bible club program. Pray for these new workers that we will be able to get the needed support for them. Something else that is new for us is the Skype discipleship program that we are doing. Twice a week we join each other for a Bible study over the Internet. This is really taking off. We would appreciate your prayers for this program. Tim and Ginny Good

PORTUGAL
Praise the Lord with us for the dozens of salvation and dedications at our camps this summer. We are now in the process of producing our Bible Club material for this year and are in need of another $4000 to complete this project. Our businessmen/leadership banquet was a fantastic event with 120 people present. Six of these men accepted Christ. A church fro Woodstock sent a crew of 20 men along with 2 full containers to build the addition in our auditorium. What a joy to see God's protection and provision during this time. Dave and Pat West

ROMANIA
What a wonderful camp season we experienced this past summer. 99 received Christ, among them 12 boys and 7 girls of Turkish origin. Over 80 attended a five day Word of Life camp in Greece with several decisions for Christ. As a result of this camp, the Lord paved the way for expansion of our Bible clubs in Greece. 35 young men and women, many Muslims, attended our first Word of Life camp in Turkey. Again, several accepted Christ and many of them asked to be taught how to have a daily quiet time. Our Bible Club in Istanbul opened again in October this year. We are so thankful for the groups that have come over from America to help us with the building of our new property in Romania. What a joy, after many years of building and raising funds, to be able to welcome our first class of students at our "Word of Life Romanian Discipleship Training Center." Please pray with us for the needed funds for three students who still need help. $3900 is needed by May next year. Juan and Kim Siles

UKRAINE
What a great summer we experienced in Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Hundreds of youth, boys and girls accepted Christ and again we have young men and women from all of these countries and many others at our Bible Institute. We thank God for the 95 students now in attendance and pray for the Lord's working in their lives. Students from Moldova, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Poland, and Uzbekistan. All told in Word of Life BI in Hungary and Ukraine we have 17 countries represented. What a joy to see these students develop and prepare for future service. Pray for our "Born Again to a Living Hope" teams that are again in many High schools and Universities. We have just experienced a terrible fire and Jon Mark's as well as our house (a duplex) both burned to the ground. We would be so thankful for any help, financial or otherwise, to rebuild these homes. Please call Nehemiah Network (518-494-6270) and speak to Butch Jarrel if you can help. To send funds, write check to Word of Life, for: Ukraine Fire Project. Jorge and Laura Radziwiluk

UNITED KINGDOM
Here is an update on what has been happening during the last few months in the UK. School Assemblies and Classroom visits continue in Northern Ireland and Scotland. At our "Splash down" in Scotland, we had two who trusted Christ. Our Northern summer camp in Sunderland as well as our Southern camp in Devon were well attended with many decisions for Christ. This past summer we also had evangelistic weeks in Central Scotland, in Milton Keynes, Sunderland, in Somerset, an din another town in Scotland at the end of August. Again, many responded for salvation. One of our associate leaders, Laura Momis, developed a new event geared towards girls, called "Refresh." It confronts young women with God's perspective of beauty and personal values. This had become a great avenue for evangelism. 30 young associate staff members attended staff conference just recently. Because of this group, we are able to carry out so many activities with such a small full time staff. Thank you for your prayers for our work in this needy land. Dave and Cheri Kelso

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS

• Winter camp in Bulgaria
• Mihai and Ana Laura Bucur in language study in Lithuania
• For follow up program for new converts in Czech Republic
• For three large Christmas concerts to be held in Paris this month
• For the Bible Institute students and our winter camps in three areas this year in Germany
• For the new team in Serbia, Turkey, and Greece
• For the needed funds for a new van in Hungary
• For wisdom as we speak with the neighbors in Nairobi Kenya
• For support for new staff in Poland
• For needed funds for BI students in Romania
• For needed support for the Tarasiuk family
• For the rebuilding of the duplex in Ukraine

Please make checks payable to Word of Life and mail to:
Word of Life, PO Box 600, Schroon Lake, NY 12870 USA
Word of Life Canada, R.R. 1 Owen Sound, ON N4K 5W4, Canada
All gifts will be acknowledged with a tax deductible receipt.

Bob and Betts Parschauer: December 2008

Dear Friends and Supporters:

This morning I was reading in Mark 8:2. Jesus said to His disciples, "I have compassion on the multitude because they have continued with me for three days and have not eaten."

Oh that we would have that kind of compassion for people! I see the needs of these people in Europe and the hunger for the things of God in Eastern Europe, but I know that I do not have that kind of compassion for them. I do long to help them, and I trust that these reports will motivate you to pray for our missionaries and be involved in any way that is possible for you.

Was it not the compassion of our Lord that brought Him to be born in a manger, live in the sinful world, shed His blood, die and be raised from the dead. Was it not that compassion that brought salvation and the promise of eternal life with Him in the future? Yes it was! That is the story that began over 2000 years ago with the first Christmas.

As some of you know, I had the privilege of traveling to Europe again this past summer. This trip to Poland, Germany, and Czech Republic left a deep impression on my mind. There are so many needs and so few workers. The camps all over Europe again were very fruitful as hundreds of boys and girls, young people and even a good number of adults accepted Christ. After I returned, Betts and I were able to witness the ordination of both Bobby and Brent. That was a very joyous experience for us. After this experience we traveled out to Ohio for a Parschauer reunion. What a joy to be together with many of our family who are spread all over America and Canada.

We just completed a tour with Concert Pianist Gregor Breier and our Word of Life Director of Bulgaria, Sergie and Tania Tyshcenko, (25 concerts), and were overwhelmed with the generosity of God's people during this economic crisis. The people gave almost $20,000 in offerings and pledges for our work in Bulgaria. PTL! This family is still in need of another $600 personal monthly support. They are a wonderful family and worthy of our support. The funds that we raised will help them purchase a van and finances for their winter camp. Their greatest need is for a center where they can meet with the young people that they are working with. Please be in prayer that this will become a reality.

At the present time, I am in the process of setting up three more tours for next spring. The Word of Life German Brass Ensemble will be here in March, Juan Silas with our new missionary to Turkey, in March and April and in June the Tyschenko's with Gregor Breier once again. Thank you for your prayers as I contact churches regarding these tours.

As you read over the following reports from our ministries in Europe and Africa, please be in prayer for our leaders as well as our co-workers. It is such a joy for me to represent them here in America. We just heard that Jorge and Laura Radziwiluk, our Ukraine director, lost their house in a fire November 19. They are in need of $100,000 to replace it. Both apartments are destroyed. Please be in prayer that God will, in a miraculous way, provide for this family during this crisis time.

We would again ask for your prayer for Betts and me that God would give us wisdom as we deal with yet another challenge with cancer. Here is a short note that Betts wrote to some of her closest friends expressing our feelings at this time.

"There's no need to explain the emotions and thoughts that go with finding out from the recent biopsy report that the small lump on my left chest wall was cancerous. You can well imagine this for yourselves. In fact, we aren't sure just now what course of action to pursue even though there are a few options that we are checking out. After 24 years of such a challenging journey, it quickly becomes "old hat", so to speak, when there's another bump in the road. One thing is for certain though-we need your supportive and caring prayers as we humbly ask our Abba Father what he would have us to do. Wishing I could say more-but I guess this time I'll wrap myself in my "Love Blanket" quilt and let God do some more hugging on me. "

We know that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and He is already working in our lives through these circumstances that have once again come our way.

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support for our ministries in Europe and for us personally.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Yar to all of you.

Our love and prayers,

Bob and Betts

Lyons Ministry Report: December 08

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Thank you for your faithfulness!


Kenneth came to camp as a homosexual cross-dresser, but left camp as a saved man! Kenneth is now in Bible College! Our Partnership Is Working!


Pastor Johnny is leading one of the three new church plants launched this year! Over 300 people have been saved so far. They have 16 small groups and have had a high of 300 in their services! Our Partnership Is Working!


Pastors who serve along side us in Metro Manila. All are great men of God, highly committed, well equipped, reaching the world! Our Partnership Is Working!


Greg, LuAnn, Jessica, Jake, Micah, & Alex. We are honored to represent you in Metro Manila and Southeast Asia! Our Partnership Is Working!

As the year draws to a close, we want to thank the faithful partners who have sacrificed to keep us on the field! Weak Dollar and Exchange Rate Are Improving Several churches have increased our support this past year to compensate for the weak dollar exchange rate. At one point we had lost 29% of our income due to the economic impact of the weak dollar. But praise the Lord, we have gained 11% of the loss back! Only God knows what 2009 holds, but we are always confident in His supply. Fuel Prices Have Declined The whole world seemed to experience the spike in fuel costs. This event came at a critical time in our ministry. We were in the middle of transporting over 50,000 campers to and from the camp site. But, again, God was good to provide all that was needed. Through God's provision and your generosity, we have been sustained through the crisis. Today, the exchange rate is improving, the dollar is a bit stronger, and fuel prices are dropping. With the increased support from churches and the consistent faithfulness of others, we are blessed! Thank You For Partnering!

Greg & LuAnn Lyons
Megacity Ministries Inc
email: gregslyons@gmail.com
phone: 617-273-5781

Baptist Bible College Asia Report

Enrollment Grows to 591 Students
BBCAsia continues to grow! We thank the Lord for a 43% increase in enrollment. This is our largest freshman class and seems to be a promising group of young men and women. Many are new believers recently saved at youth camp, who have accepted the call to prepare for God's service. The future looks bright, as God raises up a new army of servants to reach the world.

802 Attend BBCAsia Student Camp
A Call to Service
Preaching, motivation, commitment would describe the emphasis of this year's BBCAsia Student Camp. Each message was designed to bring the student to a higher awareness and stronger determination to serve the Lord. Along with the plenary sessions, we brought the students through a series of games and challenges to further develop leadership and ministry skills.

BBCAsia Camp Video Link


LBU-BBCAsia Train Next Generation of Public School Principals
Multi-Level Long Term Goals Established
Ground breaking strategy is now being implemented in an effort to influence a nation! Through a special agreement, Louisiana Baptist University and Baptist Bible College Asia, launches a focused Master of Arts program for Filipino Public School officials. Subsidized tuition by LBU and management by BBCAsia, has enabled us to provide a program to offer a M.A. in Education and Education Administration for 20 public school teachers.

Goals For The Future
1. Reach the public school teacher with the Gospel.
2. Serve teachers through providing assistance in continuing education.
3. Eventually impact the public school system by placing the newly trained Administrator in key positions within the public school system.
4. Finally, influence a nation from within the government. We realize this long term goal will only be achieved through commitment and tenacity, but we are confident that God will bless.

BBCAsia Strengthens Relationship With Louisiana Baptist University
New USA Board Member Welcomed
BBCAsia welcomes Dr. Sandra Cory as a member of our USA Board of Directors. As we seek to partner for a stronger college, the addition of Dr. Cory is a step forward. We continue to develop a strong relationship with LBU in the training of our faculty and administration. We are grateful for LBU's vision and mission heart through offering the INSTEP program. Under the leadership of Dr. Neil Weaver and the rest of LBU's administration, we look forward to effectively training a new wave of pastors and missionaries. This new force will ultimately change the world through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Partner in Changing the World!

God's hand is moving through BBCAsia! Becoming a Strategic Partner with BBCAsia will help you reach into mission fields otherwise closed to western missionaries. The next wave of missionaries are in our classes right now! Send support to: BBCAsia, P.O. Box 191, Springfield, MO 65801

Stay Connected!
Email: bbcasia.info@gmail.com
Phone: 316-974-0029
Web: http://bbcasia.net/

Greg and LuAnn Lyons - October 2008

Cambodia Camp Reaches 2,204 Souls!

God is moving throughout Asia! Our Manila Camp team recently travelled to Cambodia to help implement another camp outreach.

Partners Strengthen The Work!

We are grateful to the Rawlings Foundation who contributed the largest part in making this camp a reality. Through their generosity and vision, a camp facility was constructed and the camper scholarships. Additional scholarships were provided through IMAP (Rev. Bob Hines, Boise, ID). The international camp team was assisted by a local Philippine donor, Community Baptist Church - Metro Manila, and Metropolitan Baptist Church - Houston, Texas.

8,363 Campers Hear The Gospel

Nine camps were held back to back over three weeks! Inner city young people were the primary target with a some from provincial towns. God blessed with 8,363 young people attending the camp.

During camp, 2,204 Budhist young people came forward for salvation. Each one was personally dealt with to make sure a clear understanding of the Gospel was made. What a joy to see smiles on the faces where darkness had ruled for so long!

394 Baptized

Many of the pastors baptized the new believers while at camp. 394 were baptized in the camp pool. Each pastor who participated was encouraged to see these new members join their respective churches.

Your Missionaries,

Greg & LuAnn Lyons

Megacity Ministries Inc

Thank you for partnering!

email: gregslyons@gmail.com

phone: 617-273-5781

Watch our Camp 2008 Cambodia Video Report! You may register and download the video after you view it. The video will be great for a Missions Report, Sunday School Class, Small Group, or your Missions Team!

Larry & Millie Brown - December 2008

Dear Friend,

Fear not, the angel said to Zacharias, and again to Mary the angel said, fear not!

We have a wonderful Savior who came to save us and to tell us, "fear not."

Our hearts can rest in Him these days of uncertainty economically, politically, and days of so much that is negative.

We have peace from the Prince of peace who said, "I will never leave your or forsake you."

We are so thankful for all of you dear folk who have prayed for us and our ministry these many years.

Larry continues to be involved with people and has so many opportunities to give the Gospel to the lost.

He also preaches once a month at a church nearby.

We have run into a "bump in the road" on our journey recently.

Larry was diagnosed with cancer in the prostate gland and will need 42 radiation treatments beginning in a few days.

We covet your prayers, that this will take care of the cancer.

He has been asked to begin teaching the Chronological Bible Studies which take about one year to complete.

He is excited about that, needless to say!

Again, we appreciate you all!

Merry Christmas!

Postcard from Bobby & Jen Parschauer

Hi Pastor Joe and Friends of Missions:

Just on my way back from another great trip to Austria where the cathedrals are empty but God is allowing a continued prayer movement among the youth despite the tragic death of one of our national leaders. Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel. We wish you all God's best for 2009.

Bobby & Jen Parschauer

Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Christmas Newsletter

Merry Christmas,

I love you so much and thank you for continuing to stand with me as your missionary in our local jails. It is hard to explain what an amazing work God has done in the Monroe and Wayne County Jails this year. We have a fantastic new Chaplain, Ron Morse. We have more volunteers walking the floors, teaching Bible Classes, and ministering than ever before. We have seen hundreds of lost and broken people come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

We have handed out thousands of Bibles. Our faithful grading team has been grading and returning more Bible lessons than ever before in the 34-year history of Good News in our local jails. God is alive, well, and working in a mighty way behind bars. I appreciate you and your faithfulness. God bless you. Tell someone about Jesus this Christmas season!

Your Friend,
Chaplain Paul Burress


I can't tell you enough how much it means to me to have been given the privilege to serve alongside of Chaplain Paul as a Good News Chaplain. As a volunteer for more than ten years, I received a tremendous blessing while ministering to the inmates and staff. Now that I have come on full time, the blessings have also come on full time. We have seen God do some amazing things this year, and I am excited to see what will happen next!

Chaplain Ron

Volunteer Spotlight

1 Peter 1:3-6 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”

This morning in my devotion time, I stopped to reflect on the words, “though now for a little while.” Being a volunteer in the jail has given me a new perspective on those words. Can you imagine being away from your children or family while you serve time for a crime you committed? This is one of the greatest heartaches of the women in jail, particularly for those who go on to serve prison time. These words, “though now for a little while,” are comforting to the ladies who have accepted Jesus as their savior. They realize that paying the consequences for a crime may seem to take a long time, but God says our suffering is but for a little while, as time is short here on earth. I am thankful that I have been spared of many of the trials the women who are incarcerated face. By God’s grace, many of us will never understand the lifetime affliction of the women who are living on the streets suffering from the bondage of drugs and prostitution. A great many of the women in jail have lived this life and are ready for a new life. As a volunteer, I am blessed to be able to minister to the women in the Monroe County Jail by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and see lives change. On a weekly basis, a flood of women, hungry for a new start in life, rush to me and the other volunteers when we walk through the door. Seeing the ladies working through their Bible Studies, sharing their testimonies with other inmates and family members, and praying for strength to be good witnesses while serving time has been so rewarding. Throughout the years, many of the women have shared how thankful they are for going to jail because without the time of incarceration, they would have never known or felt the need for a savior. Volunteering in jail has allowed me to sharpen my ability to share the gospel, see people through God’s eyes, and witness firsthand how only Jesus can change a person’s heart and life.

Jill

Praise/Prayer Requests

We praise God for the faithful supporters of the jail ministry: our prayer partners, volunteers, and financial partners. Thank you, Jesus!

Please Pray

• For a continued open door of ministry in our local jails
• For a chaplain or volunteer to minister to the next arrested criminal you hear about on the news
• For the victims of crime
• For Chaplain Ron’s wife, Marion, in her struggle with cancer.

A Letter from Prison

Hello and greetings from the wet and wild north country. I hope this letter finds you well and serving the Lord with all of your might. I know things have been getting rough out there, especially for those who put their trust in the world system and the stock market. My prayers go out to all of you. It is sad, but even the church has been totally consumed with coveting desire for decades, trusting in money and the American dream over the Word of God for their strength and hope. We have bought into the idea of a trust fund, to exclusion of the most important bank account we have, the one in Heaven! I can only pray for those who are struggling and believe the Lord will carry His church through.

I hope the men have been growing and finding the Lord in their time of distress. I can never thank you and the volunteers enough for all that you have done for me. Without your uplifting encouragement I do not think I would have been able to carry on. You really made a huge difference in my life, and the man I am today is because of your faithfulness to share Christ and reach out to me while I was in the Monroe County Jail. I now know how much work it is to really “get under” someone and lift them up. You are an example of true faith and all that it entails. Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers over the years.

Even though the times may be hard I know one thing. With the Lord Jesus all things are possible. Nothing is too difficult for Him, if we would but trust in His holy words and life. Please tell everyone that my thoughts are for them and that I believe the Lord is working in a mighty way today. God bless you, may the Lord keep you in his mighty hand day by day.

Bill (not actual name)

Annual Banquet
Don’t miss it! Friday, April 24, 2009 at 7:00pm
Dome arena in Henrietta

United Way
Don’t forget you can donate through the United Way by designating #1138.

Thank You

Chaplain Paul Burress
Chaplain Ron Morse

130 Plymouth Ave South
Rochester, NY 14614
585-753-4032
www.goodnewsjail.org
www.beyondbars.org (Local Blog)

Baptisms in Turkey!

Gateway Educational Services Newsletter
December 8, 2008

Six Baptisms at Beytel West!

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,…” -Jesus (Matthew 28:19)

Sunday November 30th 2008 starting at around 4pm Beytel West baptized five women and one man. Pray for each of these as they continue to grow in the knowledge of and be obedient to our Lord and King. It is no little thing for Christians from a Muslim background to be baptized, this is a public declaration of their faith. Each of those who were baptized gave their testimony and publicly confessed their faith in Christ! Thank you all for your prayers and for your support and being part of this albeit from a far! Also those who are reading this letter and have not yet been baptized take an example from the Ethiopian eunuch:

And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?" And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he (Philip) baptized him. (Acts 8:36-38) And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

“So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41)

“But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (Acts 8:12)

"Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. (Acts 10:47-58)

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!

J. of G.E.S.

To support Zacchaeus Projects, Beytel and Christian Resources in Turkish please make your checks payble to: New Horizons Foundation
(FBO Gateway Missions) and send to: New Horizons Foundation, Inc.
4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203
Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Website:
www.gatewayeducation.org

Ron Lett's from Austrailia

December 1, 2008

Dear Pastor and Church family,

Once again I want you to know we are continuing the work of deputation. The last time I wrote I mentioned that we had six churches that had come aboard as of October 1….well we have 13, now to which we praise the Lord and others that said they would come aboard soon. That gives us close to 30% of our needed support. We have spoke in churches in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia and Ohio…a lot of miles but worth it all. I praise the Lord for your kindness in meeting our needs and sharing your time with us. I know that we live in tough times but at the same time when things are tough I know the Lord shows Himself strong in each one of our lives.

We still have been concentrating on the eastern States for now but are willing to go anywhere to present our ministry in Australia. If you receive this letter and have not had us come, give us a ring and we will set a date, we are wanting to get back to Australia as soon as possible, the Lord works through you to send us and we would love to partner with you to do so.

Unfortunately, as I was driving….cars in front of us stopped all of a sudden but I couldn’t get my truck stopped in time and rear-ended another truck, mine being a mid-size Dodge ran into a Dodge Ram, bigger truck and messed up the front of mine. He didn’t hardly get a scratch….that’s the struggles you face when your on the road all the time. I have a 2005 truck which has 122,000 miles on it already. So far it’s been a good vehicle…now if we could only get the driver to work better.

I cannot believe it is almost Christmas….My wife, Vicki and I want to wish you a wonderful Christmas a great time of the year to share Christ. May the Lord continue to bless you and your fellowship.

In Christ we Serve

Ron & Vicki Letts
Missionaries Down Under

News from Turkey

Gateway Newsletter from E. at our Eastern Base
December 05, 2008

From Turkey, with the love that Christ taught, peace to each one of you who are in the family of the Kingdom of the Messiah.

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15)

Through the peace that is given to us by our Lord and by you taking our burderns by your physcial giving and spiritual strength we are continuing on the path we were appointed too and the responsiblity that has been given to us, which is brought to light by these above verses.

Those who have heard the truth in lands which we are ministering in is truly a small number. This situtation sometimes is a reason for a “lack” of encouragement within us. (or the cause of our discouragement.) However, with your help and prayers you complete what is lacking in us (literally: “you complete our lack of encouragement”). I wanted to share with you all that it makes us very happy to see the young generation of believers growing in the faith. I would like to see more consious, academic, knowledgable believers in these lands.

I do not want people to just believe and go to church on Sundays then live their lives as normal. I want our youth, those older who have newly placed their faith in Christ and those who have been a believer for along time that have the desire to learn the Bible and those who also wish to do ministry to be educated in these subjects.

This type of education is possible, it is possible with the many books and educational materials that we posses today. However, academic theological books in the Turkish language are not available and or there are very few. In English there are thousands, but every Turkish person doesn’t know English.

Theology is a very difficult subject and to gain a strong basic education in this field it is necessary for the Turks to do this in their mother tongue. Because of this it is necessary for many of the books that are available in the English language to be translated into Turkish. My request is for you to help to translate these materials and help educate and disciple the Christian Turkish people.

The television stations in this country have programs that host Muslim Theologians that continually attack and slander Christianity, the Gospel and Workers. Because of this the people have been effected and believe them. And why? Because in this country there are just a few people who can defend the faith on an academic level.

The reason there are so few Christian Apologists is because of the fact that they do not posses academic materials and have not had the education needed for this. For years in this country there have been books that have been published and translated to explain the Gospel. Some have been very good others not so good. Millions of dollars have been spent on these efforts however, giving the new Turkish Christians a strong solid foundation in Christian education was not a focus.

There are tons of evangelistic books that were published and we are still seeing that the number of Christians in the country has not really increased. For those that are believers they are learning the same things over and over and their faith is based off of what they have heard but not really what they have studied. The Turkish people have the right to learn the the depths of the book they believe, the doctrines of God, glorious Christian History and about the martyrs in their own langauge. For this reason I am requesting your support so that these materials can be translated and published for your Turkish brothers and sisters. I along with many others during this time in our history are suffering without these materials however, I do not want the next generations to be lacking in these as we are.

Please do not forget that your prayers are our weapons. Praise God for your prayers and your support. May the Lord that Provides bless you all! May you have warmness and peace from Him.

E. of G.E.S.

If you would like to become a financial supporter of such projects and ministries of Gateway please make checks payable to:

New Horizons Foundation
(FBO Gateway Missions) and send to: New Horizons Foundation Inc.
4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203
Colorado Springs, CO 80907

www.gatewayeducation.org

News from Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving from Gateway Educational Services!
November 25, 2008

This year the Gateway Family is thankful for:
1. The King’s provision and blessings on the ministries here in Turkey!
a. Finances for Publishing of Aman Nazar Değmesin! this year.
b. Beytel West began in Istanbul 3 years ago by faith and we have been able to pay its bills and rent ever since!
c. Beytel East began on faith and continues on faith.
d. Purchase of a vehicle for the Eastern projects was made possible.
e. Donation of another vehicle for Western projects was unexpected but a blessing!
f. Medicines being purchased every month for medical projects continues!
g. Clothing and school supplies are continually being donated.

2. The eight believers that will be baptized this Sunday at Beytel West! We praise the King for the 5 women and 3 men that will be baptized the 30th of this month.

3. Safety in travels throughout the year while doing the Zacchaeus projects!

4. The team of ministry partners within Turkey that work together with us.

5. The diligence of the Gateway team in the States that organize, pray and encourage.

6. The reconciliation ministry that is taking place between the Armenian and Turkish believers.

7. All of the Gateway supporters and prayer warriors that are the body overseas that allow and bless our ministries here in the Middle East! We are thankful to the King for giving a family like you to us!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

J. of G.E.S.
www.gatewayeducation.org

Declet: Lonnie C. Smith Sr.

Declet
South O' Border
DR. & MRS LONNIE C. SMITH Sr.
Missionaries to Mexico
December 2008

Dear Friends in Christ,

It is hard to believe that another year is almost gone. Yes, this is December and Christmas is just a few days away. How we rejoice in this wonderful fact; that Christ was born and died for our sins. In the churches in Mexico this is a very special time for our church services. Many parents who have never attended church will attend to see their children take part in the programs celebrating the birth of Christ. Pray that many will be saved.

In November the pastors of the BBF Mexico attended the annual Fellowship meeting that was held at the Rawling’s Highland Youth camp in southern Mexico. The attendance was very good this year. The Rawling’s Foundation paid half fare for chartered buses to bring the pastors from their cities. Two buses of 47 seats each went from the Monterrey and Reynosa area. The Faith Promise mission offering of over Three Million pesos was received for this year’s budget. One new missionary family was approved.

Thanksgiving was a wonderful time for the LONNIE C. SMITH family. For the first time in a very long time our family was able to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Both Lonnie Jr., Martha with Ronnie, Lou Ann and his family were present. (Brian and Stephanie were not able to attend). Elisabeth Hartley, (Ronnie’s married daughter prepared the feast for all. Mike Hartley is full time at Baptist Temple of McAllen, Texas.

Beloved, it is our greatest privilege to represent you here in Old Mexico. God continues to bless our efforts to win souls for Christ. Each church reports souls being saved and the attendance has increased during this time of excellent weather. At this Christmas Season we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy life in Christ our Lord. Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer and support.

Yours for Souls in Mexico,


Lonnie & Margie Smith

Youth For Christ

December Youth for Christ Update

Right now, Youth for Christ (YFC) has four core ministries; ALL*STAR Basketball, Successful Pathways for Teen Parents, Victor Campus ministries, and Moonlit Adventures. One of our goals is to bridge the gap between urban and suburban ministries and we have been very successful so far. In the last year students in both the ALL*STAR and Victor ministries have been building relationships through events such as the Excel conference and Saturday ALL*STAR league games. Below is a short update on each ministry.

ALL*STAR Basketball just completed another successful season this fall. Games are held on Saturdays and practice is during the week. At each practice there is a bible lesson which students must attend as well as memorize a verse each week in order to play in that week’s game. During the off season, Jemel works with an ALL*STAR team which is made up of students who have showed excellence during the season on and off the court. These students are discipled and encouraged to be great leaders while practicing with the ALL*STAR team.

Victor campus ministries have been very busy. Weekly events include “club” which is an outreach event and is held Tuesday night for junior high and Thursday night for senior high. Wednesday night a small group of guys meet for discipleship and accountability. In January, there will be a small group for girls starting to meet once a week. We are also going to start meeting with student leaders Friday mornings before school to have breakfast and a bible study.

Moonlit Adventures has been trying to host an event on the last Saturday of every month. Due to students schedules and the fact that most activities are weather dependent, we have not been able to meet every month, however we went rock climbing in September and over Christmas break we are heading to the Adirondacks to do some winter camping. The potential a “wilderness ministry” like Moonlit Adventures has is the fact that relationships are built deeper faster when you are living life together outside away from computers and cell phones.

Each year Successful Pathways, Inc. continues to advance its mission of empowering adolescent parents and youth who are at risk for early parenting, to become responsible and self sufficient, through education, mentoring, and social support. Through our Case Management and Mentoring programs we have seen many lives changed for the better. We are also pleased to report that 89% of the adolescent parents that we service have refrained from having a second child, and 100% of our at-risk youth have successfully delayed parenting. The goal of Successful Pathways, Inc. is to continue to make a difference in the lives of the young people we service. Currently we are recruiting for Mentors. We need 50 mentors to match with our teen parents and at risk youth. Mentor training sessions are held once per month. This training will give you the tools necessary to be successful in the mentoring relationship.

We are also running our Adopt a Family program. The Christmas season can be extremely stressful for our young families, and the help of a stranger can help to eliminate some of the stress. Adopting a family will provide volunteers with a wonderful opportunity to meet the physical needs of a young family while showing the love of Christ. For more information please contact our office at 235-3248. Please help support our efforts to break the cycle of adolescent parenting.

Letter from Grace Church

It's hard to believe that three years ago we began meeting for the first time on a Sunday morning with a handful of college kids and unsaved friends and neighbors. Today, we average nearly one hundred with regular attendees who still have not committed to faith in Jesus. What makes this relatively small number so amazingly significant is what God has already done:

• Over thirty people have professed faith in Jesus
• We sent a small group out of Grace Church this past September to plant Life Church, our second church plant, in nearby Quincy
• We built out a 6,600 square foot meeting place without incurring any debt and have a six-year lease
• We are laying the ground work for our third church plant in Walpole and hope to see it birthed in three years.
  

Additionally, we are taking the necessary steps to become a fully, self-supporting church as our weekly offerings have recently begun to pay the bills. In January, the church will take on a third of my salary, a third the next year, and the rest on our fifth anniversary in November of 2010. Only the Lord could take a home Bible study from birth to reproducibility and financial independence in the most un-evangelized region of the country in only five years!

Thank you for your part in planting a Gospel preaching, community loving, disciple making church on the south side of Boston. Please continue to pray and financially support us as we stretch toward this goal. It appears that the Lord is continuing to complete the work he began in us!

Truly yours for Jesus and the lost in New England,

Sean Sears

Letter from Don and Darla Lough Jr.

November 20, 2008

Dear Friends of Word of Life Ukraine:

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21b)

God is doing amazing things through the ministry of Word of Life in the Ukraine! The Bible Institute and camping programs are not only reaching the youth in this needy land, but are also expanding into several former Soviet bloc countries.

In the midst of this blessing we have been reminded that we have an adversary who seeks to discourage and destroy.

I have just received word that the home shared by the Radziwiluk family on our Ukraine property was completely destroyed by fire. The fire evidently began in the chimney and quickly engulfed the entire duplex. Two entire families lost their home, their furniture, and their personal belongings.

In spite of this setback, the Radziwiluks and their ministry team are in good spirits and rejoicing that the Lord spared their lives and that no one was injured.

What can you do to help?
1. Pray with us that the ministry in Ukraine will continue to move forward unhindered.
2. Because reliable insurance was not available, we are asking the Lord to touch the hearts of friends who have supported the ministry in the Ukraine and partner with us in a meaningful way.

With winter quickly approaching, there is an urgent need to begin construction on a new home. We are already in the process of mobilizing volunteers to help.

The cost to rebuild the home and to replace the furniture and belongings is expected to be around $100,000. With the urgency of what has occurred, a special project account has been opened.

Would you prayerfully consider a generous gift?

More information, as well as an online giving option is also available at www.wol.org/giving/ukrainefire.php

As you already know, the Radziwiluk family is so faithful and fruitful. It is our heart's desire to encourage them during this challenging time. God has used them in such a wonderful way to reach people with the Gospel. Your gift will help them continue their ministry in this needy land without the distraction of living in an inadequate housing situation.

Thanks, in advance, for considering your role in meeting this urgent need. Please contact me directly with any questions.

In His Service,

Don Lough, Jr., Director
Word of Life Fellowship , Inc.

Dear Loved Ones,

Still not sure we all made the transition to google groups, but will maybe have more time to be sure of that next week!

Thank you for praying for our Christmas programme at the school. Our preschool kids did a short program of Christmas Carols with new words to start off the show! They are always a hit and there is always at least one who steals the show. This time was no exception. Reggie is
3 and he sang his heart (and lungs!) out. Then he would be still for awhile then come blasting back in! Two kids down, one of our Hindu children, began clapping and stomping his feet with the rhythm (well sort of!). He also was singing to the top of his lungs. It was so cute. We are thankful these children are learning things that will go deep in their hearts.

Next came the primary aged kids (elementary). They did the musical presentation The Christmas Present which was purchased for us last year by one of supporting churches in Florida. Our church used it last year, and this year the school performed it!

Our secondary students (high school) then performed a play about Simeon and Anna - it was all great and we had about 700-800 in attendance! We know the message of The Best Present of ALL went out to Gaborone that night. Thank you again for praying.

Last week, we had to expel a student from our school for stealing. We told him that he really needed some change in his life and we were not giving up, we would continue to pray. We told him, he could not change on his own, he needs the Lord in his life. Today, he was in church!! Pray for Marcos that God will change him from the inside!

This morning at the close of our service, Venolia was saved! Today was a harvest. The seed was planted in her heart nearly four years ago when the T.I.M.E. team came to Botswana. She started attending sporadically after that. She was gone for nearly a year and then came back. Her attendance has been sporadic but usually only because of a death in the family or travel with work. She had expressed her desire to be saved to one of our ladies and after the service today, she was
saved! She plans to be baptized next Sunday!

This week concludes our school year! YAHOO! OH MY WHAT GOD HAS DONE! We are so thankful for your part. Pray as Amy Kirkland prepares to come this way and also another man as he prepares his heart and life for a move to Botswana. Another young man from Indianapolis area has also contacted us with Africa on his heart. If God wants him here, may he not be able to say NO. Many times you hear people say, "If I surrender to God, he might send me to Africa," We say, "PRAY that God will send you to Africa!"

Reaching the Unreached!

Steve, Pam, Amanda, Derek and Devin

News from Africa November 2008

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Greetings in the name of the Lord. Hoping this letter finds all well with you. We are doing fine and the work is growing and growing.

First, I want to thank all of you who had a huge part in sending three 40 ft. containers this last year full of Bibles, tracts, Sunday school material, discipleship material, bicycles for our pastors, medical supplies, New Testaments, and many other much needed supplies. The list goes on and on especially with those on the thank you list.

The work in Africa is growing each and every day. The men in the Congo are doing a wonderful work going from village to village, hut to hut winning people to the Lord. The work in Tanzania is growing as well as Matthew is doing a wonderful job there. We received a letter from Nigeria where a man had one of our tracts, read it, and got saved. He then shared it with another man who also trusted Christ as his Savior. They are now numbering 149 who have been saved from reading one of our Gospel tracts and are begging us to come to Nigeria to teach them and train them. The hunger of people for the Word of God is overwhelming when we look at the apathy and unconcern around the world for God's precious Word. There are still places on Earth where people will walk for days or weeks and go without physical food just so they can sit in the hot sun all day to hear "thus saith the Lord."

Please pray for our elections in Zambia. They are crucial s one of the men running for office is running on the premise that he will kick out all non-Zambians if elected. Also pray for others who will come and join our team in Africa. There is little time and the door is open. Let us not let it close.

Once again, thanks so much for your support and especially your prayers. This has been a tough year. We have learned a lesson as it is much easier to die for the Lord that it is to live for Him, but what an honor it is to live for Him. Pray for our travels as we are constantly moving and preaching around this world.

God bless you,

In Jesus name,

Bobby and Becky Bonner

News from Lou Hill

God Has Blessed! Thank you.
In 2004, God called us to plant a church in Nampa, Idaho. Since you have been in the loop by way of our prayer letters I'll spare you the details other than to say God has blessed our efforts to follow His leadership by allowing Christ since we arrived. One man (our first convert) has surrendered to full time ministry and enrolled in Bible college. A lot of ministry that can't be detailed in this limited space has taken place. It is all to God's glory, but your partnership has been vital to our success, and for that we thank you.

A New Field! The Macedonian Call

Allow me to digress in time. In 2003, the Lord led me to join with four other men in the establishment of Balken States Ministries. The new ministry was designed with the purpose of partnering with national pastors in the Balkan states, specifically those located in Macedonia and Bulgaria at the time. Balkan States Ministries would provide much needed support for pastors and churches in the area until they could become self-supporting.

While we have enjoyed being a part of taking the Gospel to the same area of the world that God led the Apostle Paul to (Acts 16:9), our work has been limited due to our primary responsibilities in the U.S. Even with limited work, our partnership with Marjan Angelovski and the other pastors of the Balkan States Ministries has been privileged to have a part in establishing 7 churches and 7 missions in Macedonia in the last five years. To God be the glory!

Earlier this year, as Pam and I sought the Lord's leadership for our lives and ministry, we began to sense God's call to prepare the church in Nampa for a change in leadership, and for us to devote our full time effort to planting church is Macedonia. It is with gratitude to our great God that we obediently answer His call.

Your Continued Support is Needed!

Needles to say, we are very excited about what God is calling us to do. Having recently visited the field again, I am reminded of the great door of opportunity for effectual ministry the Lord has opened for us. With less that 1% of the population of Macedonia considered to be born again believers and Islam at a staggering 30% of the population and growing, to say the need is great is an understatement.

We cannot do this great work along. Your prayer and financial support is greatly needed if we are going to succeed at this great task. Will you partner with us as we take the Light of Christ to this needy part of the world? It is necessary for us to raise monthly personal support in order for us to answer God's call to this new ministry. Please pray about supporting us as your missionaries to Macedonia.

A short time from now, I would like to call you in order to talk with you about scheduling a service at which time we can share our vision for Macedonia with your church. Since in the past you have entrusted us with the responsibility of representing you as your home missionaries to Idaho, our hope is that you will be able to add us to your missions family as your missionaries to Macedonia.

Thanks again for your prayer and financial support, but most of all for honoring us as part of your missions family as we planted Harvest Fellowship Baptist Church in Nampa.

Sincerely in Christ,

Lou

News from Turkey 11/10/08

Gateway Newsletter and Prayer Update: November 9, 2008 Greetings to you all from Turkey! The last 2 weeks have been packed with the Spirit of God moving and guiding in the ministries here. Thanks for being part of it all through your prayers and support! Zacchaeus Trip with Dr. Müjdeci delayed: I waited for Dr. Müjdeci’s arrival at Beytel East, but unfortunately Dr. M. never came or called. We would have been in Ova meeting with the believers there and making visits however the day before Dr. M. was to meet me his wallet/money/phone/bags were stolen and he could not get in contact with me to let me know. He finally got into contact with us and we were just glad to know he was alive! We will try again to go at the end of this month. Evangelism at Beytel East: Young Kurdish girl professes faith in the King!: Although we didn’t go to Ova, while at Beytel East the King had much work for us to do. There is a girl there that this summer E. was able to share with but because of her Muslim background she felt she could not “become” a Christian. She told E. that she loved Jesus and that she sees that Christianity is the true way but because she is from a Muslim background she must die a Muslim. She told E., “When you go to heaven can you tell Jesus to accept me, and tell him that I wanted to be a Christian and love Him but because I am from a Muslim background, I have to die a Muslim.” We have been praying for her daily. The first night at Beytel East I spent hours sharing with her and her mother. Then a few days later (this past Thursday night), the King provided an opportunity for us to present the Gospel clearly and she prayed with us to come to the King! After the prayer her eyes lit up and said with a big smile, “Am I a Christian now?”. I said to her that now Jesus is with her at all times and that she now has a true hope in her difficult life and One whom she can come to with all her cares. Also she no longer needs E. to talk to Jesus for her! Her concern now, as with most people in the East, is that when her family learns they may kill her. Please pray for this young girl we will call “Ö”. Pray that she will grow in her faith and that she may be protected from family members that would wish to kill her for her faith and us because we shared it. Fruits of Christian Resource Projects: “M.” destroys charms and amulets and shares with his family at Beytel East!: Also this past Thursday I was speaking with “M.” who weeks ago was given our book on Folk Islam and the Gospel’s response to it called Aman Nazar Değmesin! (May the Evil Eye Have No Effect.) “M.” was eager to meet with me because he knew I wrote the book and he immediately told me what happened after he read it. He said, “I felt there was a voice speaking to me saying, ‘Open up the two muska (amulets) that you have been wearing since you were a child, they are empty!” He went on to tell me, “I decided to open them up and I found they were empty! I couldnt believe it, I went to my mother and showed them to her as well and she was shocked. Because my mother doesn’t speak Turkish, only Kurdish I read the book outloud to her in Kurdish and now we have gotten rid of the nazarlık (protective amulets) in our home as well. I began to think about my life and realized what was written in your book is true!”. I then asked him about what he thought about Jesus and we spoke of Jesus’ power over demons and then I learned about the karabasanlar (demons in Turkey) that had attacked him and I told him of the power of Christ and how he must believe in Him. Pray for “M.” that he would give his whole life to the King and believe in Him alone. He is on the path! Beytel West Growing: Providing Live worship on the internet to Beytel East!: We praise the Lord for the growth and for those who are part of our fellowship. We are in the process of raising up a leader “B.” for a 2nd Eastern base near the Iranian border! Pray that “B.” would learn and grow to be the leader and pastor the Lord would have him to be. We are now broadcasting live via internet from Beytel West every Sunday to Beytel East so we can worship simultaneously! This has been such a blessing as we are able to see and speak to each other in real time using the internet! We may use this method for further church plants in the East. Thank you for your continued prayers and support, J. of G.E.S. Please make your checks payable to: New Horizons Foundation
(FBO Gateway Missions) and send to: New Horizons Foundation Inc.
4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203
Colorado Springs, CO 80907

To learn more about our Christian Resource Projects and or other projects please visit our website: www.gatewayeducation.org

News from Turkey

Gateway Prayer and Persecution Update from Turkey 23 October 2008

Dear supporters and prayer warriors,

May the Lord bless you, guide you and use your every word, thought and deed for His glory.

Thank you so much for remembering us in your prayers and please know that we also do pray and thank God for you as well.

Persecution During the Month of Ramadan*: I have not written about this to anyone yet as things like this seem to be normal life for believers here and we are used to it so much now that we just expect this, however I was reminded that it is not normal in the West and people need to know. During the month of Ramadan which ended over two weeks ago, our pastor Abdullah was out again with his son Kürşat and they were sharing the Good News. An owner of a shop learned of what Abdullah was speaking about and took a 2x4 board and screamed at Abdullah saying, “What are you doing here during this “holy” month, trying to make infidels out of us?” The man threw the board at Abdullah’s head Fortunately Abdullah was able to block the board from striking his head but it left two gashes on his arms. Abdullah only told us, the leadership of Beytel, about this. Please pray without ceasing for the King to open the eyes of the blind here as we continue to share the Good News in this city and around the country. Pray for open doors, hearts and minds and that we would continue to be fearless for the Gospel.

Zacchaeus Projects: Dr. Müjdeci returned safely this past Monday from his last trip. The King blessed this trip and many where helped. The good doctor gathered the brethren there in that eastern province for prayer and encouragement. Pray that the fellowship would grow in faith, maturity, and in numbers. Pray also that the King would raise native leaders from among them in that province that could lead the fellowship. The doctor and I will be heading out to meet with them again the first week of November. Pray for our preparations and safety in travels.

Interns being trained at NUT*: Continue to pray as we teach new workers how to minister in culturally appropriate ways and to share the gospel with Muslims. Pray for them as we send them out to meet others to share the Good News. Pray for their protection and for many divine appointments.

Update on E.: E. is still alive and well, sharing his faith in our Eastern base. Pray for his encouragement and leading. He saw a vision this last week where he was in a front of a light so bright that he had to bow down and could not even look up towards it. The Lord said to him, “Oraya git, oraya git, oraya git” repeatedly over and over meaning (go over there). He told me that he knew he was in the presence of the Lord but could not muster the courage to ask Him “where?” at that time. He woke up and immediately called me. He has been praying to the Lord saying that “I am willing” but to show him where he is supposed to go.

*(the month of fasting which commemorates the coming of the Qur’an)

*( NUT is an acronym for the three martyrs of Malatya in April 2007: Necati/Uğur/Tilman.

We seek to honor their zeal and sacrifice for the Kingdom of God in Turkey. We proudly train others to take their example to be ambassadors for the King and to give their last breath for the sake of the Gospel.)

Thank you for your continued prayers and support,

J. of G.E.S.

Please make your checks payable to:

New Horizons Foundation
(FBO Gateway Missions)

and send to:

New Horizons Foundation Inc.
4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203
Colorado Springs, CO 80907

To learn more about the NUT internship program or other projects please visit our website:

www.gatewayeducation.org

Lonnie and Margie Smith - November 08

Novlet

November 2008

Dear Friends in Christ,

Praise be to the Lord for additional funds that allows the construction work on the building of the Matamoros Baptist Mission continue. After finishing the addition on the lower plant, work has begun on the second storey. All work on the walls and even the concrete roof has been finished. Lacking only the plastering and the installation of the windows and doors. This addition will give room for the pastor to live and additional Sunday school rooms for this growing work. Bro. Eliasib Zapata rejoices with his people for this blessing from the Lord through Bedford Baptist Temple, Texas.

Antonio Cesar Delgado was saved under our ministry in Monterrey several years ago. After finishing Bible College he pastored a mission in the Monterrey-Guadalupe area. He is married and has two children. God called Cesar to work in a very fanatical area where few or no American missionary have been able to penetrate, the State of Oaxaca. No doubt you have read about the uprising in this area in southern Mexico. He is meeting in a rented house, and there is no more room to grow, nor any money for property or building. I have asked God to put upon your heart to help this worthy Mexican missionary. Funds should be designated to: Cesar Delgado or building fund.

The second week of this month the pastors of Reynosa and Monterrey will be traveling by a chartered bus to the Rawlins youth camp in southern México, near Cuernavaca for our annual national BBF of Mexico meeting. This meeting is for fellowship, election of officers and the raising of the Missionary budget for the year. There are over EIGHTEEN missionary projects of the BBFM that need funding. Please pray for this meeting and for all the BBFM pastors from all over Mexico as they travel and meet.

Beloved, once again we wish to express our gratitude for your faithfulness in prayer and financial support for our ministry. Pray for souls as we continue to labor for our Lord.

Yours for Souls in Mexico,


Lonnie & Margie Smith