Romans 13:11-12
11And do this, understanding the present time.
The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber,
because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.
So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Hey everyone!
I know I just sent a message the other day, but I want to update you on Kenan's health. He id doing great! This morning he went to the hospital to get his staples and stitches removed and the cuts are looking so much better! He has been giving all the glory to God telling people how Christ had healed him, not only physically, but spiritually. Many of his friends are starting to ask questions and understand his point of view! Pray for them that they would come to know the King of the universe. Pray also that God would really begin to break through the darkness here and that many people would see the light and come to know Him.
Guys, this place that I am staying in they called Sodom for a reason. This is one of Satan's strongholds. Everyone you meet has never met a Christian before nor have they ever heard the Gospel. This place is very oppressive and I have not felt right ever since I got here. I was told it is the same for every believer who comes here. I would like to ask you for your prayers for my spiritual health. I feel stunted and have not been able to feel God's presence for days now. I know He is stronger than the darkness, but I need your help with your prayers for myself as well as E. and Kenan.
I am really starting to enjoy the idea of teaching these people. They came over today to visit Kenan and see how he is doing and stayed a very long time and we were able to talk (by which I mean play charades). I am beginning to feel more comfortable with the whole being-in-front-of-people thing. We start classes again on Monday and I have been studying more English than I ever remember learning. I am wishing I had paid attention in English class now...
I have three months to teach them and I hope to be able to share a little more than just my knowledge of English with them. Keep these people in prayer!
Very close to being done with the Qur'an and have finished several of J's books. A long way more to go though. Keep praying for my focus. I tend to lose it eas-hey! have you ever wondered what the difference is from a house fly and a regular fly? ;D
Anyway, I really appreciate those of you who have taken time to pray for me, to send support, and to send encouraging letters.
Here is how you can pray specifically for me and the area here:
Pray that God would raise good godly leaders in His churches here.
Pray for Kenan's speedy recovery and new unemployment.
Pray that God will use the English class as a platform for sharing the Gospel.
Pray that God would reclaim this land for His own!
Pray for much discernment for me as well as the other workers here for many decisions that need to be made.
Pray that if that is God's will, He will open the doors to get me to the right college with the right classes.
Pray that the Lord would open my mind to learn what He would have me to learn and to give me a humble and obedient heart.
Pray that God will continue to guide my conversations and give me the words to speak and the courage to speak.
Please pray that God would reach His lost sheep here and bring them out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light.
And always remember to pray for your brothers and sisters who are in prison and who are suffering. (Heb 13:3)
Thanks for all the prayers everyone! They truly are a blessing!
____________________________________________________________
If you feel led to support my training here, you can send donations to: New Horizons Foundation Inc. (Check Memo: Gateway Missions/Zurafa) Send to: New Horizons Foundation, Inc. 4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203 Colorado Springs, CO 80907 This will help pay for things like my Turkish classes, rent, and food. You can also give online at New Horizons. If you do decide to give online, you will need to send me an email sayıng how much you sent because there ıs only one account for GES. Zurafa108@gmail.com. or you can send an email to J of GES at gatewayeducationalservices@hotmail.com. Also for those of you who go to Victory Baptist Church, Grace Road Church, or Wheatland Community Church, you can put your donations in the offering box/plate and it will find its way to me. (I hope) Thank you everyone who decides to pray or give financially!
You can now see more constant updates on my Facebook account: Zurafa Turk
(Picture of a Turkish Stop Sign [I thought it was pretty funny;])
--
Zurafa
It is well with my soul,
It is well with yours?
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
News from Zurafa
Hey Everyone! Merry Christmas! I hope you guys are having a great day full of worship and praise to the Saviour of our souls!
I have an urgent prayer request: Yesterday Kenan got into a terrible car crash involving his Taxi and a minibus. He was lying in the street covered in blood and almost unrecognizable. He was rushed to the hospital where there they took many X-rays and CAT scans. He was conscious and coherent while they were wheeling him down the crowded hallway. When I got there he looked at me and said "Zurafa..... How are you...?" (never loses his sense of humor). He lost a lot of blood and had many cuts and bruises on his face and head and legs. A few were really bad. Thankfully he did not break any bones or have any internal bleeding! After spending the night in the hospital he was evaluated again and released to go home. Right now he is sleeping on the couch and E., Kenan's mother, and I are watching over him. He is going to need a lot of time to recover and he will always have a big scar on his face. It really is a miracle that he survived. God is not done with him yet!
J put it on Facebook and Twitter and had people praying all over the world! Hundreds if not thousands of our family were praying for Kenan! And the prayers were not unheard! He has made such a fast recovery! Almost miraculous! His face is less swollen and his bruises are looking a little better. It still hurts for him to move too much, but he is being a trooper and is up and about entertaining the zillion guests who have come to see him today. Keep him in your prayers! He is exhausted. And so am I and E.
I began teaching English here three days ago in Sodom. We have seven students and I am trying to learn how to teach. I hate being in front of people and teaching is that much worse. Hopefully though I will get used to it and we can effectively use this as a means of sharing the Gospel. Already shared with them the meaning of this strange holiday we are celebrating and even sang them a hymn in English (All Heaven Declares). They said the melody touched their hearts. Hopefully we are looking at our future brothers and sisters in Christ! Pray for them and their salvation as well as that of this entire country.
God keeps putting different things on my heart that I want to do. I feel as if I am being pulled apart and don't know where God wants me. I don't know the first step to take. I can't do it all, that is a fact. Please pray for God to guide me where He wants me, to do what He wants me to do. I am going to really start pushing my studying tomorrow. I want to finish the Qur'an and several of the books/articles J gave me tomorrow. And by the end of the week, all the books he gave me. I also hope to start a research evangelism this week. I'll keep you posted how I am doing with all of this. Thanks for reading!
Here is how you can pray specifically for me and the area here:
Pray that God would raise good godly leaders in His churches here.
Pray for Kenan's speedy recovery and new unemployment.
Pray that God will use the English class as a platform for sharing the Gospel.
Pray for much discernment for me as well as the other workers here for many decisions that need to be made.
Pray that if that is God's will, He will open the doors to get me to the right college with the right classes.
Pray that the Lord would open my mind to learn what He would have me to learn and to give me a humble and obedient heart.
Pray that God will continue to guide my conversations and give me the words to speak and the courage to speak.
Please pray that God would reach His lost sheep here and bring them out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light.
And always remember to pray for your brothers and sisters who are in prison and who are suffering. (Heb 13:3)
Thanks for all the prayers everyone! They truly are a blessing!
____________________________________________________________
If you feel led to support my training here, you can send donations to: New Horizons Foundation Inc. (Check Memo: Gateway Missions/Zurafa) Send to: New Horizons Foundation, Inc. 4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203 Colorado Springs, CO 80907 This will help pay for things like my Turkish classes, rent, and food. Any extra money will be used for projects here in Turkey. You can also give online at New Horizons. If you do decide to give online, you will need to send me an email sayıng how much you sent because there ıs only one account for GES. Zurafa108@gmail.com. or you can send an email to J of GES at gatewayeducationalservices@hotmail.com. Also for those of you who go to Victory Baptist Church, Grace Road Church, or Wheatland Community Church, you can put your donations in the offering box/plate and it will find its way to me. (I hope) Thank you everyone who decides to pray or give financially!
You can now see more constant updates on my Facebook account: Zurafa Turk
(Picture of a Turkish Stop Sign [I thought it was pretty funny;])
--
Zurafa
It is well with my soul,
It is well with yours?
I have an urgent prayer request: Yesterday Kenan got into a terrible car crash involving his Taxi and a minibus. He was lying in the street covered in blood and almost unrecognizable. He was rushed to the hospital where there they took many X-rays and CAT scans. He was conscious and coherent while they were wheeling him down the crowded hallway. When I got there he looked at me and said "Zurafa..... How are you...?" (never loses his sense of humor). He lost a lot of blood and had many cuts and bruises on his face and head and legs. A few were really bad. Thankfully he did not break any bones or have any internal bleeding! After spending the night in the hospital he was evaluated again and released to go home. Right now he is sleeping on the couch and E., Kenan's mother, and I are watching over him. He is going to need a lot of time to recover and he will always have a big scar on his face. It really is a miracle that he survived. God is not done with him yet!
J put it on Facebook and Twitter and had people praying all over the world! Hundreds if not thousands of our family were praying for Kenan! And the prayers were not unheard! He has made such a fast recovery! Almost miraculous! His face is less swollen and his bruises are looking a little better. It still hurts for him to move too much, but he is being a trooper and is up and about entertaining the zillion guests who have come to see him today. Keep him in your prayers! He is exhausted. And so am I and E.
I began teaching English here three days ago in Sodom. We have seven students and I am trying to learn how to teach. I hate being in front of people and teaching is that much worse. Hopefully though I will get used to it and we can effectively use this as a means of sharing the Gospel. Already shared with them the meaning of this strange holiday we are celebrating and even sang them a hymn in English (All Heaven Declares). They said the melody touched their hearts. Hopefully we are looking at our future brothers and sisters in Christ! Pray for them and their salvation as well as that of this entire country.
God keeps putting different things on my heart that I want to do. I feel as if I am being pulled apart and don't know where God wants me. I don't know the first step to take. I can't do it all, that is a fact. Please pray for God to guide me where He wants me, to do what He wants me to do. I am going to really start pushing my studying tomorrow. I want to finish the Qur'an and several of the books/articles J gave me tomorrow. And by the end of the week, all the books he gave me. I also hope to start a research evangelism this week. I'll keep you posted how I am doing with all of this. Thanks for reading!
Here is how you can pray specifically for me and the area here:
Pray that God would raise good godly leaders in His churches here.
Pray for Kenan's speedy recovery and new unemployment.
Pray that God will use the English class as a platform for sharing the Gospel.
Pray for much discernment for me as well as the other workers here for many decisions that need to be made.
Pray that if that is God's will, He will open the doors to get me to the right college with the right classes.
Pray that the Lord would open my mind to learn what He would have me to learn and to give me a humble and obedient heart.
Pray that God will continue to guide my conversations and give me the words to speak and the courage to speak.
Please pray that God would reach His lost sheep here and bring them out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light.
And always remember to pray for your brothers and sisters who are in prison and who are suffering. (Heb 13:3)
Thanks for all the prayers everyone! They truly are a blessing!
____________________________________________________________
If you feel led to support my training here, you can send donations to: New Horizons Foundation Inc. (Check Memo: Gateway Missions/Zurafa) Send to: New Horizons Foundation, Inc. 4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203 Colorado Springs, CO 80907 This will help pay for things like my Turkish classes, rent, and food. Any extra money will be used for projects here in Turkey. You can also give online at New Horizons. If you do decide to give online, you will need to send me an email sayıng how much you sent because there ıs only one account for GES. Zurafa108@gmail.com. or you can send an email to J of GES at gatewayeducationalservices@hotmail.com. Also for those of you who go to Victory Baptist Church, Grace Road Church, or Wheatland Community Church, you can put your donations in the offering box/plate and it will find its way to me. (I hope) Thank you everyone who decides to pray or give financially!
You can now see more constant updates on my Facebook account: Zurafa Turk
(Picture of a Turkish Stop Sign [I thought it was pretty funny;])
--
Zurafa
It is well with my soul,
It is well with yours?
Kenan’s miracle story continued
Kenan’s miracle story continued: December 25, 2009
The doctors, Kenan’s family and all of Kenan’s friends are in shock! They cannot understand how Kenan came from death back to life! Last night when Kenan was taken to the hospital I let E. know that thousands were praying for Kenan’s life. E. then let Kenan’s family know this, Kenan’s mother said, “When the Christians prayed that we would have customers to sell my house, immediately I had customers, so maybe God will hear their prayers for Kenan this time too.” Your prayers were heard! Kenan is able to walk and is sitting and drinking tea and has had guests in his home all day! They are coming to see the man that came back from the dead! It is in the name of Jesus Christ that we prayed and the Lord heard. There is going to be much more to this story! When I spoke with Kenan just a few minutes ago he told me, “May the Lord be praised a thousand times upon a thousand times! I have not stopped thanking and praising the Lord since I have been awake.” Right now E. and Kenan can use this testimony of the people of God, the church all over the world and how the church acts together as a body and prays for its members to the Lord Jesus Christ. And how it is through Christ that one can be saved! Continue to pray that Kenan’s family and friends and those who are witnesses to this will come to a knowledge of salvation and commit their lives to the true and living God through Christ Jesus! Pray for E. also as has not slept for over 24 hours and is exhausted. Ersin said to me, “This is truly a miracle”. Thank you again for your prayers! May the Lord have all Glory and Honor and Praise!
J. of G.E.S. from Istanbul.
The doctors, Kenan’s family and all of Kenan’s friends are in shock! They cannot understand how Kenan came from death back to life! Last night when Kenan was taken to the hospital I let E. know that thousands were praying for Kenan’s life. E. then let Kenan’s family know this, Kenan’s mother said, “When the Christians prayed that we would have customers to sell my house, immediately I had customers, so maybe God will hear their prayers for Kenan this time too.” Your prayers were heard! Kenan is able to walk and is sitting and drinking tea and has had guests in his home all day! They are coming to see the man that came back from the dead! It is in the name of Jesus Christ that we prayed and the Lord heard. There is going to be much more to this story! When I spoke with Kenan just a few minutes ago he told me, “May the Lord be praised a thousand times upon a thousand times! I have not stopped thanking and praising the Lord since I have been awake.” Right now E. and Kenan can use this testimony of the people of God, the church all over the world and how the church acts together as a body and prays for its members to the Lord Jesus Christ. And how it is through Christ that one can be saved! Continue to pray that Kenan’s family and friends and those who are witnesses to this will come to a knowledge of salvation and commit their lives to the true and living God through Christ Jesus! Pray for E. also as has not slept for over 24 hours and is exhausted. Ersin said to me, “This is truly a miracle”. Thank you again for your prayers! May the Lord have all Glory and Honor and Praise!
J. of G.E.S. from Istanbul.
Gateway Christmas Update from Turkey
Gateway Christmas Update from Turkey:
December 25, 2009
(See update on Kenan’s condition below)
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In Turkish when celebrating one’s birthday, one does not say, “Happy Birthday”, the proper reference to the person is “It is good that you were born.” This day we say, “It is good that Jesus the Messiah was born!”, because “He will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) J. of G.E.S.
Letter from E. to you all: (see the original in Turkish below)
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today when I looked at my Christmas tree, it came to my mind again that the largest family in the world is that of the people of Christ. Just as the evergreen tree reminds us of the eternal life we possess and at the same time the trunk of the tree is the body of Christ. The branches of the tree are coming from the trunk and the many colors of the decorations on the tree represent different races, different colors and different cultures all coming together in the body of Christ. Each one a member of the body of Christ! Although I am in this amoral, dark city, experiencing loneliness, being a part of the Body of Christ and celebrating the “Birth Holiday” (What Christians in Turkey call Christmas) gives me, your brother, great hope and encouragement.
I am thanking the Lord for providing this hope and also thanking my brothers and sisters who are also members of this same hope. Thank you for your prayers and for your support. But most important of all I want to say Happy Birthday, to the Lord of us all, this day of our Lord’s birth, to the One who has given to us his Body, the privilege of celebrating His Holy Majesty’s birthday. I am celebrating this Christmas with the hope, love and peace that the Lord has given to me.
I wish you all, Happy Birth Holiday, the reason for this day and Merry Christmas!
From Sodom (Beytel East)
E. of G.E.S.
Update on Kenan: Yesterday (Dec. 24) Kenan was in a car accident around 6 p.m. E. received a phone call and the person on the other line said, “Your friend Kenan was in a car wreck and I am sorry, we just lost Kenan.”. E. and Zurafa (our intern) thought Kenan had passed away. The scene of the accident was in walking distance from their home. Kenan as lying in the street covered in blood from head to toe and was unrecognizable. His taxi destroyed, he was hit head on by a school bus. The other driver was in a similar condition. When they pulled Kenan out of the car he was not breathing and everyone thought he was dead. They put him in an ambulance and E. rode with him to the hospital. He had a pulse and was still alive! Zurafa called me and immediately I sent messages and tweets and facebooked the situation for folks to pray. We had prayer meetings all over the world going on for Kenan’s life. Kenan had every examination and x-ray one could think of. He had huge gashes in his head and legs, which were stitched. He also was examined for internal bleeding. This morning he was released from the hospital and is talking and resting at home! He will have a large scar on his face the rest of his life. His biggest concern when he began to speak was concerning his eye-glasses that were purchased for him to have treatments so he would not go blind, (the money for these was donated from churches), he also has a great concern for the taxi, as this was his livelihood and as he is still making payments on it. Praise the Lord for his mercy and for the miracle of such a quick recovery! Thank you all who were on your knees Christmas Eve for Kenan!
J. of G.E.S.
Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile
Follow us on Twitter: “E.” and “J.” will be giving daily updates via twitter.
After you create a twitter account http://twitter.com/ Follow us, our name is: gatewayedu
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Thank you all for your support and prayers!
J. of G.E.S.
If you feel led to support Gateway’s ministries please send your donations to:
Donations can be made online through New Horizons Foundation: http://newhorizonsfoundation.net/index.php?option=com_dtdonate&Itemid=5
More detailed information about EFT transfers:
EFT Bank transfer Credit/Debit Card Donations. The 15th of every month donations to Gateway can be electronically withdrawn. One can decide in giving if their electronic gift will be a one time gift or monthly. The transaction date for monthly gifts is on the 15th of every month. What is needed is the credit/debit card information (Name, Expiration date, Card Number). If the transfer will be made from a Bank account; a routing number and account number will be needed. Remember the project of the donation is Gateway Missions.
Checks can be made out to:
New Horizons Foundation Inc. (FBO Gateway Missions)
Send to:
New Horizons Foundation, Inc.4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203Colorado Springs, CO 80907
-To check out the latest pictures and info please go to our Face book page.-
Face book: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1376664116&ref=profile
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Twitter: @gatewayedu
Mesihte kardeşlerim Bugün noel ağacına baktığımda aklıma yine dünyanın en büyük ailesi olan meshin halkı geldi. Tıpkı sonsuzluğu(sonsuz yaşamı) simgeleyen çam ağacı gibi sonsuz yaşamda mutlu,huzurlu ve gövdeye yani mesihin bedenine sımsıkı bağlı yeşil dallar gibi yaşamak,üzerindeki rengarenk süsler gibi, farklı ırk,renk ve kültürlerden gelerek tek bir gövdenin (mesihin) bedeninin bir üyesi olmak bu yalnızlık, karanlık ve ahlaksızlık dolu şehirde doğuş bayramını kutlayacak olan bana kardeşinize umut ve teşvik verdi.
Bu umutu sağlayan Rabbe ve bu umudun üyeleri olan siz kardeşlerime teşekkür ediyorum. Dualarınız ve destekleriniz için teşekkürler.Herşeyden önce Bizleri efendisinin doğum gününü, Rabbinin doğum gününü kutlama ayrıcalığına sahip olan tek halkın üyeleri kılan Yüce majestelerine Happy birthday diyerek hepinizin Noel Bayramını Rabbin içimde sağladığı, umut, sevgi ve esenlik hisleriyle kutluyorum. KUTLU DOĞUŞ BAYRAMINIZI KUTLAR SİZLERE GÜNÜN AMACINA UYGUN MUTLU NOELLER DİLERİM. FROM SODOM E.
No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG - www.avg.comVersion: 9.0.722 / Virus Database: 270.14.119/2585 - Release Date: 12/24/09 03:11:00
December 25, 2009
(See update on Kenan’s condition below)
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In Turkish when celebrating one’s birthday, one does not say, “Happy Birthday”, the proper reference to the person is “It is good that you were born.” This day we say, “It is good that Jesus the Messiah was born!”, because “He will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) J. of G.E.S.
Letter from E. to you all: (see the original in Turkish below)
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today when I looked at my Christmas tree, it came to my mind again that the largest family in the world is that of the people of Christ. Just as the evergreen tree reminds us of the eternal life we possess and at the same time the trunk of the tree is the body of Christ. The branches of the tree are coming from the trunk and the many colors of the decorations on the tree represent different races, different colors and different cultures all coming together in the body of Christ. Each one a member of the body of Christ! Although I am in this amoral, dark city, experiencing loneliness, being a part of the Body of Christ and celebrating the “Birth Holiday” (What Christians in Turkey call Christmas) gives me, your brother, great hope and encouragement.
I am thanking the Lord for providing this hope and also thanking my brothers and sisters who are also members of this same hope. Thank you for your prayers and for your support. But most important of all I want to say Happy Birthday, to the Lord of us all, this day of our Lord’s birth, to the One who has given to us his Body, the privilege of celebrating His Holy Majesty’s birthday. I am celebrating this Christmas with the hope, love and peace that the Lord has given to me.
I wish you all, Happy Birth Holiday, the reason for this day and Merry Christmas!
From Sodom (Beytel East)
E. of G.E.S.
Update on Kenan: Yesterday (Dec. 24) Kenan was in a car accident around 6 p.m. E. received a phone call and the person on the other line said, “Your friend Kenan was in a car wreck and I am sorry, we just lost Kenan.”. E. and Zurafa (our intern) thought Kenan had passed away. The scene of the accident was in walking distance from their home. Kenan as lying in the street covered in blood from head to toe and was unrecognizable. His taxi destroyed, he was hit head on by a school bus. The other driver was in a similar condition. When they pulled Kenan out of the car he was not breathing and everyone thought he was dead. They put him in an ambulance and E. rode with him to the hospital. He had a pulse and was still alive! Zurafa called me and immediately I sent messages and tweets and facebooked the situation for folks to pray. We had prayer meetings all over the world going on for Kenan’s life. Kenan had every examination and x-ray one could think of. He had huge gashes in his head and legs, which were stitched. He also was examined for internal bleeding. This morning he was released from the hospital and is talking and resting at home! He will have a large scar on his face the rest of his life. His biggest concern when he began to speak was concerning his eye-glasses that were purchased for him to have treatments so he would not go blind, (the money for these was donated from churches), he also has a great concern for the taxi, as this was his livelihood and as he is still making payments on it. Praise the Lord for his mercy and for the miracle of such a quick recovery! Thank you all who were on your knees Christmas Eve for Kenan!
J. of G.E.S.
Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile
Follow us on Twitter: “E.” and “J.” will be giving daily updates via twitter.
After you create a twitter account http://twitter.com/ Follow us, our name is: gatewayedu
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Thank you all for your support and prayers!
J. of G.E.S.
If you feel led to support Gateway’s ministries please send your donations to:
Donations can be made online through New Horizons Foundation: http://newhorizonsfoundation.net/index.php?option=com_dtdonate&Itemid=5
More detailed information about EFT transfers:
EFT Bank transfer Credit/Debit Card Donations. The 15th of every month donations to Gateway can be electronically withdrawn. One can decide in giving if their electronic gift will be a one time gift or monthly. The transaction date for monthly gifts is on the 15th of every month. What is needed is the credit/debit card information (Name, Expiration date, Card Number). If the transfer will be made from a Bank account; a routing number and account number will be needed. Remember the project of the donation is Gateway Missions.
Checks can be made out to:
New Horizons Foundation Inc. (FBO Gateway Missions)
Send to:
New Horizons Foundation, Inc.4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203Colorado Springs, CO 80907
-To check out the latest pictures and info please go to our Face book page.-
Face book: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1376664116&ref=profile
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Twitter: @gatewayedu
Mesihte kardeşlerim Bugün noel ağacına baktığımda aklıma yine dünyanın en büyük ailesi olan meshin halkı geldi. Tıpkı sonsuzluğu(sonsuz yaşamı) simgeleyen çam ağacı gibi sonsuz yaşamda mutlu,huzurlu ve gövdeye yani mesihin bedenine sımsıkı bağlı yeşil dallar gibi yaşamak,üzerindeki rengarenk süsler gibi, farklı ırk,renk ve kültürlerden gelerek tek bir gövdenin (mesihin) bedeninin bir üyesi olmak bu yalnızlık, karanlık ve ahlaksızlık dolu şehirde doğuş bayramını kutlayacak olan bana kardeşinize umut ve teşvik verdi.
Bu umutu sağlayan Rabbe ve bu umudun üyeleri olan siz kardeşlerime teşekkür ediyorum. Dualarınız ve destekleriniz için teşekkürler.Herşeyden önce Bizleri efendisinin doğum gününü, Rabbinin doğum gününü kutlama ayrıcalığına sahip olan tek halkın üyeleri kılan Yüce majestelerine Happy birthday diyerek hepinizin Noel Bayramını Rabbin içimde sağladığı, umut, sevgi ve esenlik hisleriyle kutluyorum. KUTLU DOĞUŞ BAYRAMINIZI KUTLAR SİZLERE GÜNÜN AMACINA UYGUN MUTLU NOELLER DİLERİM. FROM SODOM E.
No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG - www.avg.comVersion: 9.0.722 / Virus Database: 270.14.119/2585 - Release Date: 12/24/09 03:11:00
Monday, December 14, 2009
Merhaba From Turkey!
Hey Guys!
I just made my move to Sodom two days ago. On the way here we spent a day in Cappadocia to see how our brothers and sister lived in times of Roman oppression. They carved out tunnels and caves to live in for safety while people sought them to kill them. It really touched my emotions when I saw how our brothers and sisters had to live because they were Christians. Unfortunately, things don't change with the times. Christians today are still being beating, imprisoned, tortured, and killed simply because they will not turn from the truth (just two years ago three men were beaten and killed here in Turkey). This has been a great reminder to me of what can and might be lost when you follow Christ. But it also reminds me of what will be gained. Namely: eternal life with the Creator of the Universe. Here in Sodom I will be teaching English at a K. cultural center where E. also teaches Russian. I also picked up a basketball in Istanbul and will be playing ball here to make some friends. I can see the court from my window :)
My brothers and sisters, please be reminded always to be thankful for what you have. God has given us who are in America so much and we can be so ungrateful at times. I know when I go back I will be so thankful for drinkable tap-water, grass, clean air, and freedom to worship my God when and where I want and that don't have to hide who I am and my purpose for being! (and a ton more!!)
My brothers and my sisters, we are one family under one Father! Let us be united in that if nothing else. Pray for the unity of the church! Pray that people would look past their differences and truly become the family of Christ. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share with you guys! I love you and miss you all and can't wait to see you again someday.
Here is how you can pray specifically for me and the area here:
· Pray that God would raise good godly leaders in His churches here.
· Pray that I will be a good English teacher and will be able to use the class as a platform for sharing the Gospel.
· Pray for much discernment for me as well as the other workers here for many decisions that need to be made.
· Pray that if that is God's will, He will open the doors to get me to the right college with the right classes.
· Pray that the Lord would open my mind to learn what He would have me to learn and to give me a humble and obedient heart.
· Pray that God will continue to guide my conversations and gıve me the words to speak and the courage to speak.
· Please pray that God would reach His lost sheep here and bring them out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light.
· And always remember to pray for your brothers and sisters who are in prison and who are suffering. (Heb 13:3)
Thanks for all the prayers everyone! They truly are a blessing!
____________________________________________________________
If you feel led to support my training here, you can send donations to: New Horizons Foundation Inc. (Check Memo: Gateway Missions/Zurafa)Send to:New Horizons Foundation, Inc.4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
This will help pay for things like my Turkish classes, rent, and food. Any extra money will be used for projects here in Turkey. You can also give online at New Horizons. If you do decide to give online, you will need to send me an email sayıng how much you sent because there ıs only one account for GES. Zurafa108@gmail.com. or you can send an email to J of GES at gatewayeducationalservices@hotmail.com.
Also for those of you who go to Victory Baptist Church, Grace Road Church, or Wheatland Community Church, you can put your donations in the offering box/plate labeled accordingly and it will find its way to me.
Thank you everyone who decides to pray or give financially!
-- Your brother in Christ,
~Zurafa~
It is well with my soul,
Is it well with yours?
I just made my move to Sodom two days ago. On the way here we spent a day in Cappadocia to see how our brothers and sister lived in times of Roman oppression. They carved out tunnels and caves to live in for safety while people sought them to kill them. It really touched my emotions when I saw how our brothers and sisters had to live because they were Christians. Unfortunately, things don't change with the times. Christians today are still being beating, imprisoned, tortured, and killed simply because they will not turn from the truth (just two years ago three men were beaten and killed here in Turkey). This has been a great reminder to me of what can and might be lost when you follow Christ. But it also reminds me of what will be gained. Namely: eternal life with the Creator of the Universe. Here in Sodom I will be teaching English at a K. cultural center where E. also teaches Russian. I also picked up a basketball in Istanbul and will be playing ball here to make some friends. I can see the court from my window :)
My brothers and sisters, please be reminded always to be thankful for what you have. God has given us who are in America so much and we can be so ungrateful at times. I know when I go back I will be so thankful for drinkable tap-water, grass, clean air, and freedom to worship my God when and where I want and that don't have to hide who I am and my purpose for being! (and a ton more!!)
My brothers and my sisters, we are one family under one Father! Let us be united in that if nothing else. Pray for the unity of the church! Pray that people would look past their differences and truly become the family of Christ. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share with you guys! I love you and miss you all and can't wait to see you again someday.
Here is how you can pray specifically for me and the area here:
· Pray that God would raise good godly leaders in His churches here.
· Pray that I will be a good English teacher and will be able to use the class as a platform for sharing the Gospel.
· Pray for much discernment for me as well as the other workers here for many decisions that need to be made.
· Pray that if that is God's will, He will open the doors to get me to the right college with the right classes.
· Pray that the Lord would open my mind to learn what He would have me to learn and to give me a humble and obedient heart.
· Pray that God will continue to guide my conversations and gıve me the words to speak and the courage to speak.
· Please pray that God would reach His lost sheep here and bring them out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light.
· And always remember to pray for your brothers and sisters who are in prison and who are suffering. (Heb 13:3)
Thanks for all the prayers everyone! They truly are a blessing!
____________________________________________________________
If you feel led to support my training here, you can send donations to: New Horizons Foundation Inc. (Check Memo: Gateway Missions/Zurafa)Send to:New Horizons Foundation, Inc.4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
This will help pay for things like my Turkish classes, rent, and food. Any extra money will be used for projects here in Turkey. You can also give online at New Horizons. If you do decide to give online, you will need to send me an email sayıng how much you sent because there ıs only one account for GES. Zurafa108@gmail.com. or you can send an email to J of GES at gatewayeducationalservices@hotmail.com.
Also for those of you who go to Victory Baptist Church, Grace Road Church, or Wheatland Community Church, you can put your donations in the offering box/plate labeled accordingly and it will find its way to me.
Thank you everyone who decides to pray or give financially!
-- Your brother in Christ,
~Zurafa~
It is well with my soul,
Is it well with yours?
Friday, December 11, 2009
News from Turkey
Gateway Newsletter: December 11, 2009
Beytel West Update: Last night (Thursday), as usual we had our weekly Bible study at Beytel West. Every week a good number of followers of Christ gather to hear “K.” teach from the book Romans. This time on Thursdays is important for those at Beytel West because most of them are the only believers in their families and at their work place. This is the only time besides Sunday that they are able to be with fellow believers. We just finished Romans chapter 3. Last night a new believer “S”. brought up a very common question about the reliability of the New Testament and a question concerning if there are several “New Testaments”. After answering the questions to these subjects we all went home our separate ways. However one man Er. (recently baptized and just out of prison) the brother of Erol, began to doubt the Bible and had many questions. Today J. and Dr. Dow Pursley of G.E.S. went to visit Er. and Erol to encourage them as Erol is being groomed to be a pastor of a new church plant. Erol’s brother Er., could not wait to tell us what happened to him last night. He said I went to bed still with many doubts about the Bible after the study last night, I went to sleep with a Bible next to my bed and I was awaked last night by a man standing at my bed, the man said, “Don’t be afraid, read My Book, and He pointed at the Bible, the man said, I am with you always.”. Er. told me at first he thought it was Erol his brother then he realized whom it was that was talking to him! Praise the Lord for how He confirms and encourages our faith!
Beytel West prayer request: “S.” who I mentioned above just wrote me a prayer request that I wish to share with you all. She will be baptized soon and is a new believer, however every night she is experiencing spiritual attacks (demonic) and wishes to be delivered from this. I will be counseling her from the Scriptures on Sunday about how to combat demons. Also she is a secret believer and her brother and parents are Muslims and would not take kindly to hearing that she is now a follower of Christ. Pray for her spiritual growth and for her protection.
Beytel East (Sodom): Kenan is now seeing much better because of the eye treatments that he is been receiving. The doctor as of 4 days ago said that he is seeing a total of 70% better than what he was before starting the treatments! He still has around 4 months more of treatments to go. Thanks to those who supported this man so he would not go blind! Pray also for his spiritual growth as he lives in a very dark and difficult area.
NUT School: Zurafa ended his stay with J. in Istanbul and studied in the areas of Folk Islam, Proper Islam, Life of Muhammad, Qur’an, Hadiths, Turkish and Kurdish Culture, Research Evangelism, Apologetics, and Turkish language. He is now with E. in Sodom applying all he has learned among the Kurds. He will be teaching English at a cultural center and doing much evangelism while he is there in Sodom with all whom he meets with. Pray for Zurafa’s encouragement and safety while he is there. Zurafa will also help in encouraging E. and Kenan while he is there.
Baptism at Beytel West: Praise the Lord for the latest baptism of one sister “Y.” and one brother “Er.” (Erol’s brother)! This took place 2 weeks ago! Pray for their spiritual growth, protection and courage.
Thank you all for your prayers and support,
J. of G.E.S.
Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile
Follow us on Twitter: “E.” and “J.” will be giving daily updates via twitter.
After you create a twitter account http://twitter.com/ Follow us, our name is: gatewayedu
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
If you feel led to support Gateway’s ministries please send your donations to:
Donations can be made online through New Horizons Foundation: http://newhorizonsfoundation.net/index.php?option=com_dtdonate&Itemid=5
More detailed information about EFT transfers:
EFT Bank transfer Credit/Debit Card Donations. The 15th of every month donations to Gateway can be electronically withdrawn. One can decide in giving if their electronic gift will be a one time gift or monthly. The transaction date for monthly gifts is on the 15th of every month. What is needed is the credit/debit card information (Name, Expiration date, Card Number). If the transfer will be made from a Bank account; a routing number and account number will be needed. Remember the project of the donation is Gateway Missions.
Checks can be made out to:
New Horizons Foundation Inc. (FBO Gateway Missions)
Send to:
New Horizons Foundation, Inc.4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203Colorado Springs, CO 80907
-To check out the latest pictures and info please go to our Face book page.-
Face book: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1376664116&ref=profile
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Twitter: @gatewayedu
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
News from Mexico
Dear Pastors and Friends,
We are thankful to the Lord for each and every one of you---churches that support us and pastors who encourage us. We felt so welcome and well received by all of you. We are thankful for the time you spent with us fellowshipping and eating together. We also thank those of you who took the time to take us to see sights like apple orchards, the Amish country, wood shops, etc... We appreciate the hospitality you afforded us, the generous love offerings you gave us, and the gifts you gave us---the beautiful handmade quilt, the books, the Gospel tracts and New Testaments, the Sunday School materials, etc... Our video has been well received. Remember, it shows what the Lord has allowed us all to do together and we praise His name!
Our daughter, Stephanie, came through her surgery just fine and with Martha's help is back on her feet fulfilling her duties as mother and wife.
We are in the process of packing our belongings to return to Guadalajara. By the time most of you receive this letter, we will be back on the field getting ready for all the Christmas activities in the churches there.
Once again, we are thankful of all you do and we wish you a Christ centered Christmas and a new year blessed by our wonderful Savior!
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
We are thankful to the Lord for each and every one of you---churches that support us and pastors who encourage us. We felt so welcome and well received by all of you. We are thankful for the time you spent with us fellowshipping and eating together. We also thank those of you who took the time to take us to see sights like apple orchards, the Amish country, wood shops, etc... We appreciate the hospitality you afforded us, the generous love offerings you gave us, and the gifts you gave us---the beautiful handmade quilt, the books, the Gospel tracts and New Testaments, the Sunday School materials, etc... Our video has been well received. Remember, it shows what the Lord has allowed us all to do together and we praise His name!
Our daughter, Stephanie, came through her surgery just fine and with Martha's help is back on her feet fulfilling her duties as mother and wife.
We are in the process of packing our belongings to return to Guadalajara. By the time most of you receive this letter, we will be back on the field getting ready for all the Christmas activities in the churches there.
Once again, we are thankful of all you do and we wish you a Christ centered Christmas and a new year blessed by our wonderful Savior!
'Til Jesus Comes,
Lonnie C. Smith, Jr.
News from the Bonners
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the name of our Blessed Savior! Hope this note finds all well this Holiday Season. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. Keeping our eyes, heart and mind on the Reason for the Season, which is indeed our wonderful Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. To Him be all the glory.
Thank you for the many prayers that are still going up on our behalf. I believe the only reason I am still here is because someone is praying. Thank you for sticking close to us during this time of testing and rehabilitation. Thank you for your support for IAM and the work going on each day in Africa. Please pray for Dick and Eve Jarvis as they work with the Deaf in Zambia. They are running the Deaf Orphanage and are teaching the children sign language so they can eventually hear the Gospel. We need only $400 a month to run the operation of housing and feeding the children. Please pray about this need. The Jarvis's also need about $6000 to buy a van for the transportation of the children. They have raised half of it and are asking churches and individuals to pray about matching this so they can purchase this much needed vehicle. Please pray!!!!!
The work with our Pastor/Church planters is going well. Village after village are being reached with Bible studies going on almost every day, teaching and training others in the Word. I am currently finishing the Pastor Curriculum which will be used hopefully around the globe to help train pastors so they can train others and reach their people with the Gospel, and disciple others so they can reproduce themselves with the Message of Hope. Jesus is the Blessed Hope that they need.
Please continue to pray for my rehab. It's going too slow for me. The Lord is teaching me some patience and a bunch of humility, which I am sure each of you know I need. We love you all and are indeed thankful, humbled, and grateful for all of your prayers and support. I am praying that my schedule for 2010 will fill up with meetings so we can indeed report to our churches here and get into new churches so that we can find partners for IAM, to reach this world with the Gospel, and plant churches around this world.
In Jesus Name,
Bobby and Becky Bonner
IAM Ministries
Greetings in the name of our Blessed Savior! Hope this note finds all well this Holiday Season. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. Keeping our eyes, heart and mind on the Reason for the Season, which is indeed our wonderful Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. To Him be all the glory.
Thank you for the many prayers that are still going up on our behalf. I believe the only reason I am still here is because someone is praying. Thank you for sticking close to us during this time of testing and rehabilitation. Thank you for your support for IAM and the work going on each day in Africa. Please pray for Dick and Eve Jarvis as they work with the Deaf in Zambia. They are running the Deaf Orphanage and are teaching the children sign language so they can eventually hear the Gospel. We need only $400 a month to run the operation of housing and feeding the children. Please pray about this need. The Jarvis's also need about $6000 to buy a van for the transportation of the children. They have raised half of it and are asking churches and individuals to pray about matching this so they can purchase this much needed vehicle. Please pray!!!!!
The work with our Pastor/Church planters is going well. Village after village are being reached with Bible studies going on almost every day, teaching and training others in the Word. I am currently finishing the Pastor Curriculum which will be used hopefully around the globe to help train pastors so they can train others and reach their people with the Gospel, and disciple others so they can reproduce themselves with the Message of Hope. Jesus is the Blessed Hope that they need.
Please continue to pray for my rehab. It's going too slow for me. The Lord is teaching me some patience and a bunch of humility, which I am sure each of you know I need. We love you all and are indeed thankful, humbled, and grateful for all of your prayers and support. I am praying that my schedule for 2010 will fill up with meetings so we can indeed report to our churches here and get into new churches so that we can find partners for IAM, to reach this world with the Gospel, and plant churches around this world.
In Jesus Name,
Bobby and Becky Bonner
IAM Ministries
Monday, December 7, 2009
News from Mexico
December 2009
Dear Friends in Christ,
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
How wonderful is the reason for this season. Celebrating Christmas in the Mexican churches is a very great time to worship and to serve the Lord. The children of the churches present a special program concerning the birth of our Lord. New parents come to see their children perform and many thereby have found Christ as their personal Savior.
Last month, the BBF of Mexico celebrated their annual fellowship meeting in Celaya, GTO. There were over 600 out of town messengers from the churches present for this occasion. The night services were even larger and there were over 750 present each night. The host church attended the visitors with splendor. The preaching was great and for the first time the services were broadcast on the Internet to those who could not attend. The next two meetings, in April and next November, will be conducted at the Rawlings Camp near Cuernavaca. All are invited to attend.
The "Filidelfia" Bible Baptist Church of Reynosa, Dr. Angel Zapata pastor, was a church host for a regional Youth meeting of the Border BBF churches of Mexico. The attendance was great for this all day Saturday meeting. Many of the young people dedicated their life anew to the Lord. All enjoyed a great time of fun and fellowship. Ten churches participated.
Beloved, we are so thankful for your faithfulness in prayer and support for our ministry. Our prayers are with you during these difficult economy times.
Yours for souls in Mexico,
Lonnie and Margie Smith
Dear Friends in Christ,
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
How wonderful is the reason for this season. Celebrating Christmas in the Mexican churches is a very great time to worship and to serve the Lord. The children of the churches present a special program concerning the birth of our Lord. New parents come to see their children perform and many thereby have found Christ as their personal Savior.
Last month, the BBF of Mexico celebrated their annual fellowship meeting in Celaya, GTO. There were over 600 out of town messengers from the churches present for this occasion. The night services were even larger and there were over 750 present each night. The host church attended the visitors with splendor. The preaching was great and for the first time the services were broadcast on the Internet to those who could not attend. The next two meetings, in April and next November, will be conducted at the Rawlings Camp near Cuernavaca. All are invited to attend.
The "Filidelfia" Bible Baptist Church of Reynosa, Dr. Angel Zapata pastor, was a church host for a regional Youth meeting of the Border BBF churches of Mexico. The attendance was great for this all day Saturday meeting. Many of the young people dedicated their life anew to the Lord. All enjoyed a great time of fun and fellowship. Ten churches participated.
Beloved, we are so thankful for your faithfulness in prayer and support for our ministry. Our prayers are with you during these difficult economy times.
Yours for souls in Mexico,
Lonnie and Margie Smith
Monday, November 30, 2009
Letter from Turkey
Gateway Thanksgiving Letter from Turkey: November 25, 2009
E. of G.E.S. has written you all a Thanksgiving greeting that I have translated. For avid Turkish readers see his original below:
Happy Thanksgiving to all those who support us spiritually and materially and who are members of and who belong to the family of the Messiah. Together with you because we possess eternal life in the Lord and because we will be one day together bowing before the Throne of the Lord and praise Him together forever we are thankful to the Lord and also thankful for you dear brothers and sisters.
Because there are millions of brothers and sisters like you in the world, we thank the Lord who gives us the honor to be members in His large family. May the Lord bless and use each one of you and may the Lord make you strong like Himself, the One that cannot be shaken! Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving
E. of G.E.S.
Highlights to pray for and praises:
1. Engagement party of K. (elder of Beytel) and L. (Music leader of Beytel) this Sunday!
2. Two new baptisms this Sunday.
3. Immediate answers to prayers already concerning the last email I sent.
4. Two guest speakers in at Beytel for a week.
5. Five Churches now wish to work together with us for the Kingdom in Mercy Ministry/Zacchaeus projects! We are praying and planning concerning what projects to do in Istanbul and in the East together!
I am grateful and thankful for you all and your friendship and prayers.
J. of G.E.S.
Bizleri maddi ve manevi yönden destekleyen Mesih'in büyük ailesinin, bedeninin üyeleri Şükran Gününüz Kutlu Olsun.Sizlerle birlikte Rabbde sonsuz yaşama sahip olduğumuz için ve Rabb’in tahtı önünde hep birlikte onu yüceltip secdeler sunabileceğimiz için ve sonsuzluklar boyunca birlikte olucağımız siz kardeşlerimiz için Rabbe teşekkür ediyoruz.
Sizin gibi milyonlarca olan kardeşlerimiz olduğu için ve bu büyük ailenin üyesi olarak bizleri onurlandıran Rabbe teşekkür ediyoruz.Rab herbirinizi bereketlesin ve kullansın.Sizi güçlü ve kendi gibi sarsılmaz kılsın! Amin ŞÜKRAN GÜNÜNÜZ KUTLU OLSUN! E. of G.E.S
Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile
Follow us on Twitter: “E.” and “J.” will be giving daily updates via twitter.
After you create a twitter account http://twitter.com/ Follow us, our name is: gatewayedu
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Thank you all for your support and prayers!
J. of G.E.S.
If you feel led to support Gateway’s ministries please send your donations to:
Donations can be made online through New Horizons Foundation: http://newhorizonsfoundation.net/index.php?option=com_dtdonate&Itemid=5
More detailed information about EFT transfers:
EFT Bank transfer Credit/Debit Card Donations. The 15th of every month donations to Gateway can be electronically withdrawn. One can decide in giving if their electronic gift will be a one time gift or monthly. The transaction date for monthly gifts is on the 15th of every month. What is needed is the credit/debit card information (Name, Expiration date, Card Number). If the transfer will be made from a Bank account; a routing number and account number will be needed. Remember the project of the donation is Gateway Missions.
Checks can be made out to:
New Horizons Foundation Inc. (FBO Gateway Missions)
Send to:
New Horizons Foundation, Inc.4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203Colorado Springs, CO 80907
-To check out the latest pictures and info please go to our Face book page.-
Face book: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1376664116&ref=profile
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Twitter: @gatewayedu
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Letter from J & L in Turkey
Gateway Prayer Requests
November 14, 2009
“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” (Revelation 5:8).
Your prayers rise up before the King who sits on the Throne. The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders also are before the throne and participate while lifting our prayers up to the King. This is every time you pray. Every time you sing to God you also join into this worship in heaven as well! David knew this:
“But I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.” (Ps. 88:13).
Our time of great need and Turkey’s time of great need:
“You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” (2 Cor. 1:11).
We need your help here in Turkey, please pray for us as Paul asked the church in Corinth pray for them.
Prayer needs:
1. Pray that the Lord would cleanse His church here in this country. Pray that the Lord would protect His church here in this country. Many have asked why Turkey is still the largest unreached country in the world. I can state in all honesty it is not merely the hardness of the people and lack of interest. Many are interested and have a desire to learn. However, there is a fundamental problem within churches here as a whole. That problem namely being in the Christian leadership. There are some who work too close to the government, abusing their power and lording it over others, some who are alcoholics, some who beat their wives, some who commit adultery, some who steal and many who are two-faced and not honest and some who are seeking money over the Kingdom of God, there is also much back-biting, gossiping and slandering. Some leaders are teaching that there is not a difference between being a Muslim and a Christian and that Muhammad was a prophet too. These leaders are leading others to do and think the same and have the same attitudes. They are the sick leading the sick.
The question is then if the Lord of the Harvest brings 10,000 into to the Kingdom here (now), where will they go? The answer is they would be sheep without a shepherd and thrown out to the wolves. Our Good Shepherd does know this and is patiently waiting.
I have never shared these realities with you our prayer and financial supporters, because it is generally not the kind of thing one wants to hear, I have kept these in for years, however I cannot bear this burden anymore and need all of you to please plea and beg before the throne, please beg with me and cry with me for this country and these people. I know now that this is the key that is missing to unlock the flood-gates of the Kingdom here. There are few true shepherds! I know that if you do pray the King will listen to your prayers the prayers will come up before His throne and He will respond. Please help.
2. Pray that the Lord would cause those in leadership to repent and or that the Lord would remove them from their positions.
3. Pray that the Lord would raise up faithful servants that are sold out to live and die for the King. Pray that these new servants would give full allegiance to the King and live Holy lives to be examples to their flocks.
4. Pray that the Lord would please send these faithful to us so that we may minister together and reach the West and the East here together in unity.
“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” (Eph. 6:18).
I do know that the Lord said in Matthew 13:29-30, that with the wheat, tares do grow and at the end the tares will be sifted and burned. Also In I Timothy 5:24, “Some men's sins are evident, going before unto judgment; and some men also they follow after.” However my cry to the Lord is that we need a swift cleansing. In Luke 18 in the parable of the unjust judge our almighty King gives us a promise concerning this, and that is if we continue to “bother” Him day and night over these issues:
“And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?” (Luke 18:7).
Thank you for your help in prayers,
J. of G.E.S.
Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile
Follow us on Twitter: “E.” and “J.” will be giving daily updates via twitter.
After you create a twitter account http://twitter.com/ Follow us, our name is: gatewayedu
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Thank you all for your support and prayers!
J. of G.E.S.
If you feel led to support Gateway’s ministries please send your donations to:
Donations can be made online through New Horizons Foundation: http://newhorizonsfoundation.net/index.php?option=com_dtdonate&Itemid=5
More detailed information about EFT transfers:
EFT Bank transfer Credit/Debit Card Donations. The 15th of every month donations to Gateway can be electronically withdrawn. One can decide in giving if their electronic gift will be a one time gift or monthly. The transaction date for monthly gifts is on the 15th of every month. What is needed is the credit/debit card information (Name, Expiration date, Card Number). If the transfer will be made from a Bank account; a routing number and account number will be needed. Remember the project of the donation is Gateway Missions.
Checks can be made out to:
New Horizons Foundation Inc. (FBO Gateway Missions)
Send to:
New Horizons Foundation, Inc.4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203Colorado Springs, CO 80907
-To check out the latest pictures and info please go to our Face book page.-
Face book: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1376664116&ref=profile
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Twitter: @gatewayedu
Merhaba From Turkey!
Hey Everyone!
Its been two months now since I first step foot in Turkey. I have been learning so much with J! Language, culture, religions, apologetics, and a ton more. All the while building relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as those that are outside of the Kingdom of Light.
I have been blessed with the opportunity to share my faith and answer questions with many of the people I have met. I was able to speak with one guy for 45 minutes and another girl for an hour just answering questions about the Bible and who God is. Some seem very interested and some have told me "I think you are completely wrong, but I think you will live a very happy life." I really hope they come to know Christ.
I was blessed two weeks ago to witness the baptism of "W". It is always an amazing and greatly motivating thing for me to witness someone's public proclamation of their newfound relationship with Christ. I hope to see many more people come to know Christ.
In one month I will be heading to "Sodom" to learn from E. I was able to spend a few days with him here and really enjoyed my time with him. I can't wait to learn from him. Please also pray for wisdom and guidance in my decision for my future here. Right now I am leaning towards training to be a medical doctor. I have always loved the medical scene and this would give me a great freedom to go to many places and open doors for other workers. That would involve about 7-8 years of studying (or more). For those of you I told I would be gone for 4-6 months, we are leaning more towards 6-8. This way I can have a really good base in the Turkish language so that when I go back to Rochester, NY I can begin to reach the 15-20 thousand Turkish Muslims there. Currently there is no one that we know of that is working wth them.
Here is how you can pray specifically for me and the area here:
-Pray that God would raise good godly leaders in His churches here.
-Pray for much discernment for me as well as the other workers here for many decisions that need to be made.
-Pray that if that is God's will, He will open the doors to get me to the right college with the right classes.
-Pray that the Lord would open my mind to learn what He would have me to learn and to give me a humble and obedient heart.
-Pray that God will continue to guide my conversations and gıve me the words to speak and the courage to speak.
-Please pray that God would reach His lost sheep here and bring them out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light.
-And always remember to pray for your brothers and sisters who are in prison and who are suffering. (Heb 13:3)
Thanks for all the prayers everyone! They are really helping! And thanks to everyone who has given to help me get here!
If you feel led to support my training here, you can send donations to:
New Horizons Foundation Inc. (Check Memo: Gateway Missions/Zurafa)
Send to:
New Horizons Foundation, Inc.4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
This will help pay for things like my Turkish classes, rent, and food. Any extra money will be used for projects here in Turkey (like buying a church) and will be given to J of GES to decide what to do with. You can give online at New Horizons.If you do decide to give online, you will need to send me an email sayıng how much you sent because there ıs only one account for GES.
Also for those of you who go to Victory Baptist Church, Grace Road Church, or Wheatland Community Church, you can put your donations in the offering box/plate and it will find its way to me. (I hope)
Thank you everyone who decides to give financially or to pray!
-- Your brother in Christ,
~Zurafa~
Monday, November 9, 2009
News from Turkey
Gateway Newsletter: November 7, 2009
“A band of polytheists came upon them while they were praying and rudely interrupted them…it was on the occasion that Sa’d smote a polytheist with the jawbone of a camel and wounded him. This was the first bloodshed in Islam.”[1]
This story is related from the oldest biography of the life of Muhammad written in the eighth century. The world shutters to think of how much blood has been spilt in the name of Muhammad or Islam since this time. Our King’s words are in stark contrast:
“But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also”. (Mat. 5:39)
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Mat. 5:44)
This week we mourn with and pray for the families of the victims at Fort Hood. This has made me even more sensitive to the fact that you as our supporters and prayer warriors should be even more aware of the realities of the evil structure of power that exists within Islam, but even more I wish that you would be on your knees in prayer for the King’s mercy for these that have been deceived. Please pray for them, befriend them,and love them just as the King does.
Remember that by praying for and supporting us here you are supporting a work among largest unreached nation in the world and that being Muslim. 76 million people and 99.9% Muslim! Now in the U.S. there are over 6 million, not to mention the large immigration of Muslims to England, Scotland and Holland where many of our supporters are as well. The King has sent them to you because we in the West have not fulfilled the evangelistic mandate to go and tell them in their countries so our sovereign God has sent them to you! Use this opportunity!
The apostle Paul was no different than a Muslim Terrorist yet the Lord had mercy on him:
“though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
(I Timothy 1:13-15)
Note for American readers: For our brothers and sisters in the U.S. do not pre-judge Muslims because of this tragic event. The majority of Muslims are peace loving, trying to support their families and have better life in the U.S. The majority does not know their own religion and rarely do they practice their religion, much like the majority of “Christians” in the states whom have not read their Bible, and go to church maybe on Easter and Christmas yet would still call themselves Christians.
G.E.S. Highlights:
1. Former Muslim Baptized at Beytel West!
Last Sunday, November 1st , 2009. “M.” whom we have been sharing the Gospel with since this Spring now has openly confessed his faith in Jesus the Messiah and was baptized. Please pray for his wife, daughters and grandchildren as he is now actively sharing his faith with them. Pray for “M.”’s spiritual growth and protection from the Evil One. To see pictures of the baptism please go to our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile If you scroll down on the wall you can view the pictures.
2. Kenan’s eyes are beginning to improve already! Thanks to the donations of many Kenan has completed 1 month of eye treatments and can see better already! He has another doctor’s appointment this week and will be coming with E. to Istanbul. Again all of you who have given financially for Kenan’s eyes treatments, we thank you, he is very grateful. We will keep you posted on his condition.
3. Beginnings of the first Kurdish Christian Church! We are at the first stages of gathering Kurmanji speaking believers together for prayer, worship and preaching. Please pray as this has never happened in the history of Turkey! We will have much opposition and will need your prayer cover.
4. Article Published with Evangelical Missions Quarterly: J. of G.E.S. had his article on how to reach Folk Muslims published with the EMQ journal October 2009, the title is: Research Evangelism among Folk Muslims: Calling Missionaries to Christian Cultural Anthropology. To read this article you will need a subscription to: www.emisdirect.com Please pray that workers to Muslims around the world would apply the practical applications that were given.
6. Please help us gather more prayer partners:
Dear Partner in Prayer,
If you have Christian friends who might be interested in praying for our ministry in Turkey and the Middle East and for Muslims, please consider forwarding this newsletter and the following message to them:
Dear Christian,
If you are interested in praying for the country of Turkey and for Muslims, please know that Gateway Educational Services is dedicated to reach Muslims. If you would like to receive this newsletter by email on a regular basis, please contact me at gatewayeducationalservices@hotmail.com and give your name and location.
Thank you for your prayers,
For the King,
Jacob Pursley
President of G.E.S.
Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile
Follow us on Twitter: “E.” and “J.” will be giving daily updates via twitter.
After you create a twitter account http://twitter.com/ Follow us, our name is: gatewayedu
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Thank you all for your support and prayers!
J. of G.E.S.
If you feel led to support Gateway’s ministries please send your donations to:
Donations can be made online through New Horizons Foundation: http://newhorizonsfoundation.net/index.php?option=com_dtdonate&Itemid=5
More detailed information about EFT transfers:
EFT Bank transfer Credit/Debit Card Donations. The 15th of every month donations to Gateway can be electronically withdrawn. One can decide in giving if their electronic gift will be a one time gift or monthly. The transaction date for monthly gifts is on the 15th of every month. What is needed is the credit/debit card information (Name, Expiration date, Card Number). If the transfer will be made from a Bank account; a routing number and account number will be needed. Remember the project of the donation is Gateway Missions.
Checks can be made out to:
New Horizons Foundation Inc. (FBO Gateway Missions)
Send to:
New Horizons Foundation, Inc.4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203Colorado Springs, CO 80907
-To check out the latest pictures and info please go to our Face book page.-
Face book: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1376664116&ref=profile
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Twitter: @gatewayedu
[1]Ishaq, Ibn. A translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah The Life of Muhammad, trans. Guillaume, (Karachi, Pakistan: Oxford University Press, 2004), 118.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Letter from Mexico
South O' Border: November 2009
DR. & MRS LONNIE C. SMITH
Dear Friends in Christ,
Calixto Sepúlveda celebrated his 88th birthday this past month. He was born and raised in a Christian home in a small village near Linares, Nuevo Leon. He began his ministry as a teen and after marrying Lucha (Maria de La Luz) and moved to Monterrey to began working in a factory.
In the early fifties he worked with BBFI missionary Faye Blakeley in a mission in Col. Moderna. (This mission is now Gethsemane B. C.)In 1960 when we moved from Tampico (after 4 years) to Monterrey to began our life’s work he was still working in the factory and was pastor of a small mission. He agreed to work with me and dedicated his life to the full time ministry. He worked with me and was pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Col Martinez for over twelve years. Our highest attendance at the church was over 570. From that work over TWENTY other churches were established. Over 126 churches were established during our ministry. Bro. Calixto accepted a church in Chicago and was pastor there and in the Rio Grande Valley until today. He is still active in the Lord’s work.October was a busy month for us. It was a month of preparation of literature for the BBF of Mexico meeting that will be celebrated in the second week of November in Celaya, GTO. Bro. Angel Zapata and other pastors of the region will be going to this special Fellowship meeting where our annual mission offering will be given, and new officers of the BBFM will be elected. The BBFM has TWENTY missionary projects and are hoping to approve other workers at this meeting. Once again God has provided a minivan for the work in Mexico. A friend has donated a 1992 Plymouth Voyager to a Mexican pastor working Reynosa Mexico. The men’s prayer group of Canton Baptist Temple has helped with some finances to repair the vehicle for service. Praise God for the generosity of these people toward our ministry.Beloved, once again we are so thankful for your faithfulness in prayer and support for our ministry. Our prayers are with you during these difficult economy times.
Yours for souls in Mexico,
Lonnie & Margie Smith
Reaching the Aussie's For Christ
Dear Pastor and Church,
This deputation process has its features and its fall backs. I think the hardest is the phone calls. It is certainly a way of doing it, (it can't be the best) yet, we will eventually get to the field but the process gets tiresome. I love being in Churches all across our country but I don't like to ring to get the speaking engagement. I must admit I do like to travel, it is long most of the time...but the view along the way reminds me of how beautiful this world must have been when the Lord created it...especially this time of year.
It has been a busy two months on our deputation trail we have been in nine churches most of which where missions conferences...from Tioga, PA to North Carolina, then up to Johnstown, NY to Baltimore, Maryland, then south to Luray, VA then back to Louisville, Ohio then west to Eaton, Ohio then back to Jamestown, NY. We've had 98% of them indicate that they would like to be a part of our ministry and one has already rang me to tell us that they voted to do just that. Well of course what is coming in and that is now 56%. Hopefully next letter I can report a larger increase but all in the Lord good timing.
We have seen many people come to the alters and deal with things that the Lord has laid on their hearts, even some for salvation...so even though we have been called to Australia the Lord has given us a time to minister to the hearts of people here in the States along the way. We praise the Lord for every decision that has been made and I must admit...it is those decisions...that keep us going.
We, again, thank you all for the chance to share our ministry with you along the way and a special thanks to those who have come aboard to partner with us already. May the Lord continue to bless you as you serve Him.
Ron & Vicki Letts
Your Missionaries to Australia
This deputation process has its features and its fall backs. I think the hardest is the phone calls. It is certainly a way of doing it, (it can't be the best) yet, we will eventually get to the field but the process gets tiresome. I love being in Churches all across our country but I don't like to ring to get the speaking engagement. I must admit I do like to travel, it is long most of the time...but the view along the way reminds me of how beautiful this world must have been when the Lord created it...especially this time of year.
It has been a busy two months on our deputation trail we have been in nine churches most of which where missions conferences...from Tioga, PA to North Carolina, then up to Johnstown, NY to Baltimore, Maryland, then south to Luray, VA then back to Louisville, Ohio then west to Eaton, Ohio then back to Jamestown, NY. We've had 98% of them indicate that they would like to be a part of our ministry and one has already rang me to tell us that they voted to do just that. Well of course what is coming in and that is now 56%. Hopefully next letter I can report a larger increase but all in the Lord good timing.
We have seen many people come to the alters and deal with things that the Lord has laid on their hearts, even some for salvation...so even though we have been called to Australia the Lord has given us a time to minister to the hearts of people here in the States along the way. We praise the Lord for every decision that has been made and I must admit...it is those decisions...that keep us going.
We, again, thank you all for the chance to share our ministry with you along the way and a special thanks to those who have come aboard to partner with us already. May the Lord continue to bless you as you serve Him.
Ron & Vicki Letts
Your Missionaries to Australia
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
News from the Bonners
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
Greetings in the wonderful name of our blessed Savior. I think I have enough strength now to sit up and write and let all of you know what has been happening with Becky and I. Here goes.
When I returned after 8 weeks in Africa, I was scheduled for a total knee replacement. The pain in my left leg never stopped and I was having a difficult time getting around without it locking up at times or just staying swollen and tender. The doctor said my knee was one of the worst he had ever worked on. I guess I waited long enough. The surgery was September 22nd and while I was still in the hospital I had a heart attack. I called Becky at 3AM on the 24th and told her even before I called the nurse because I really thought I was going to glory and just wanted to let Becky know I loved her so much. They rushed me in an ambulance to another hospital and found 2 blood clots in my heart that caused cardiac failure. They removed the clots and put in 2 stents for a total of 11 that I have now. After that, my heart and lungs filled with blood and I was put on oxygen for the next 5 days and was in ICU. Then I developed a fever and infection and had 2 IVs along with several blood transfusion. The stories I could tell about those 5 days. It too my heart 5 more days to go back to a normal rhythm. They changed most of my heart meds and finally released me. I have started some home rehab with my knee, but being unable to since the surgery, it has put my schedule way behind. God is wonderful and full of mercy and grace and answers prayers. God is good.
Becky and I want to thank all of you who prayed us through. I came so close to being with Jesus and I had total peace. It's hard to explain the Grace that goes on and on and on. I am praying for a steady recovery to get back working for the Lord. He is worthy, He is worthy. We have many plans for next year, African and beyond. We must get the Word out while we can. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Words just seem to be not enough to thank each one of you for your prayers, support, and for your love for Jesus and the Bonner family. We love you. To God be the glory, great things He hath done. We have another chance to do something for our KING.
In Jesus Name,
Bobby & Becky Bonner
Greetings in the wonderful name of our blessed Savior. I think I have enough strength now to sit up and write and let all of you know what has been happening with Becky and I. Here goes.
When I returned after 8 weeks in Africa, I was scheduled for a total knee replacement. The pain in my left leg never stopped and I was having a difficult time getting around without it locking up at times or just staying swollen and tender. The doctor said my knee was one of the worst he had ever worked on. I guess I waited long enough. The surgery was September 22nd and while I was still in the hospital I had a heart attack. I called Becky at 3AM on the 24th and told her even before I called the nurse because I really thought I was going to glory and just wanted to let Becky know I loved her so much. They rushed me in an ambulance to another hospital and found 2 blood clots in my heart that caused cardiac failure. They removed the clots and put in 2 stents for a total of 11 that I have now. After that, my heart and lungs filled with blood and I was put on oxygen for the next 5 days and was in ICU. Then I developed a fever and infection and had 2 IVs along with several blood transfusion. The stories I could tell about those 5 days. It too my heart 5 more days to go back to a normal rhythm. They changed most of my heart meds and finally released me. I have started some home rehab with my knee, but being unable to since the surgery, it has put my schedule way behind. God is wonderful and full of mercy and grace and answers prayers. God is good.
Becky and I want to thank all of you who prayed us through. I came so close to being with Jesus and I had total peace. It's hard to explain the Grace that goes on and on and on. I am praying for a steady recovery to get back working for the Lord. He is worthy, He is worthy. We have many plans for next year, African and beyond. We must get the Word out while we can. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Words just seem to be not enough to thank each one of you for your prayers, support, and for your love for Jesus and the Bonner family. We love you. To God be the glory, great things He hath done. We have another chance to do something for our KING.
In Jesus Name,
Bobby & Becky Bonner
Monday, October 19, 2009
Letter from J & L in Turkey
Gateway Newsletter
October 18, 2009
“Turkey and Armenia signed an accord Saturday to establish diplomatic relations after a century of enmity,…” [1]
As Turkey and Armenia were planning historical steps for their future relations and discussing the possibilities of opening the borders, Gateway was at work in Armenia making spiritual steps towards reconciliation, peace and strategic planning of how the Armenian/Georgian Christians along with the Kurdish Churches in their respective countries can work together with Beytel churches in ministry.
We thank all of those who prayed for this trip and help financially support this endeavor. I believe that by doing this you were a part of fulfilling these passages:
Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Ephesians 4:2-3, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
(To see pictures of the trip please go to Gateway’s facebook page and become a friend of Gateway Educational) http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices
Highlights of the trip:
1. E. to ask for forgiveness on behalf of the Turks: Below I will recount one of the moving moments of reconciliation as recorded in my journal.
Wednesday, October 7:
“E. said that he was privileged to one of the first Turks to be able taste the love and acceptance of his Armenian brothers and sisters in Christ. E. asked for forgiveness for what the Turks did to the Armenians. He said, “I cannot keep from wondering how many brothers and sisters in Christ I would have if we would have not killed them.” He broke down and wept. He could not go on speaking. The translator, church and I did not know what to do. It was very moving. Then all of the sudden an older, white haired, Armenian man in a suit walked on to the platform, hugged and cried with E. This continued for what seemed like hours, then E. walked off the stage. The pastor of the church encouraged those who wanted to reconcile with E. in person to come up and hug him. A line began to form and from young to old the church hugged and cried with E. An old Armenian widow came up to E. When E. saw her he broke down again, she hugged him and told him how they lost their homes and family members during the genocide. She said they never were able to find their son but she told him you are now my new son in place of him! J.
2. Kurdish pastor asked forgiveness from E.:
Here is an account of what heppened while visiting one of the Kurdish pastors and his church.
Thursday, October 8:
This was the first Kurdish services E. and I had ever attended. We met at 1:30pm with the Kurdish church and I was asked to say a few words in Kurmanji. I explained who we were, what our ministry was and asked them to pray for our work. E. also greeted the church and we sang hymns of praise in Kurmanji. After this I said in Kurmanji, “Xwedêyê me Hêja ye, Xwedêyê me Aştî ye û Xwedêyê me Hez kirin e.” Our God is great, our God is peace and our God is love. The Kurdish pastor looked at us and said, “Only by Jesus Christ could we have such love and unity for each other. Just look at this. Here present us Kurds, then Turkish E. and their Armenian friend H., and an American all of us together, all of us at one time enemies but now brothers and sisters!” He began to cry and said to E., “please forgive us Kurds for what we have done to you Turks!” They embraced and we all clapped! J.
3. Challenge for the Armenia church to pray for Turkey:
Whenever we had the opportunity to speak or preach we emphasized the need for the Armenian and Kurdish Churches to pray for Turkey. The best reminder was Mt. Ararat that is clearly seen from the Erivan the capital of Armenia. I explained that the lights on the mountain they can see at night are villages where our ministry is working and that is called Twin Mountain Province. I explained specifically the village of the two girls with the skin disease. I said that those girls in that village look down every night and see Erivan clearly and that when they, the church, look up and see Mt. Ararat I asked if they would please pray for that village and for God’s mercy in Turkey. I challenged them to pray with us Mat. 9:37-38, Col. 4:2-4 and II Thes. 3:1-2. J.
4. Teaching at a missions school:
The church in Armenia has been challenged to reach its Muslim neighbors. A missions school asked E. and J. to speak on how to effectively reach Muslims. J. and E. spoke on potential obstacles and how to overcome these, the importance of Ambassadorship, along with inviting the Muslim into the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ.
5. Prayer walk with Armenian church leaders and members:
One morning J. and E. met early with over 20 Christian leaders and members of churches and headed to the Armenian/Turkish border. There we prayed together for Turkey, we had communion together and prayer walked along the border for around 2 hours! Praise God for the heart of the Armenian Christians who are concerned for the welfare of Turkey. The Armenian Christian leaders drew in the dirt a map of Turkey, anointed the map with oil and wine and laid hands on the map asking God to bless and have mercy on the country!
6. Connecting with the three Kurdish fellowships:
Because of our work with Kurds we were excited to meet with the two Kurdish fellowships in Armenia and the main Kurdish fellowship in Georgia. This week one of the Kurdish leaders from Georgia will be joining us in Turkey! Other Kurdish leaders will come and help us with training! These meetings were invaluable for the future work with the Kurds in Turkey! There was one Kurdish woman at one of the Kurdish churches at Armenia that when she met us and heard us speak she was in tears as she told us that she had been praying for 20 years for the other Kurds in Turkey, and now the Lord was answering her prayers. Two Kurdish leaders from Georgia told E. and J. “I feel like I am meeting with two angels, because we thought no one else was trying to reach the Kurds in Turkey and now we can partner with you!”.
Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile
Follow us on Twitter: “E.” and “J.” will be giving daily updates via twitter.
After you create a twitter account http://twitter.com/ Follow us, our name is: gatewayedu
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Thank you all for your support and prayers!
J. of G.E.S.
If you feel led to support Gateway’s ministries please send your donations to:
Donations can be made online through New Horizons Foundation: http://newhorizonsfoundation.net/index.php?option=com_dtdonate&Itemid=5
More detailed information about EFT transfers:
EFT Bank transfer Credit/Debit Card Donations. The 15th of every month donations to Gateway can be electronically withdrawn. One can decide in giving if their electronic gift will be a one time gift or monthly. The transaction date for monthly gifts is on the 15th of every month. What is needed is the credit/debit card information (Name, Expiration date, Card Number). If the transfer will be made from a Bank account; a routing number and account number will be needed. Remember the project of the donation is Gateway Missions.
Checks can be made out to:
New Horizons Foundation Inc. (FBO Gateway Missions)
Send to:
New Horizons Foundation, Inc.4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203Colorado Springs, CO 80907
-To check out the latest pictures and info please go to our Face book page.-
Face book: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1376664116&ref=profile
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Twitter: @gatewayedu
[1] http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/mobile.do?load=wapDetay&link=189541
October 18, 2009
“Turkey and Armenia signed an accord Saturday to establish diplomatic relations after a century of enmity,…” [1]
As Turkey and Armenia were planning historical steps for their future relations and discussing the possibilities of opening the borders, Gateway was at work in Armenia making spiritual steps towards reconciliation, peace and strategic planning of how the Armenian/Georgian Christians along with the Kurdish Churches in their respective countries can work together with Beytel churches in ministry.
We thank all of those who prayed for this trip and help financially support this endeavor. I believe that by doing this you were a part of fulfilling these passages:
Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Ephesians 4:2-3, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
(To see pictures of the trip please go to Gateway’s facebook page and become a friend of Gateway Educational) http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices
Highlights of the trip:
1. E. to ask for forgiveness on behalf of the Turks: Below I will recount one of the moving moments of reconciliation as recorded in my journal.
Wednesday, October 7:
“E. said that he was privileged to one of the first Turks to be able taste the love and acceptance of his Armenian brothers and sisters in Christ. E. asked for forgiveness for what the Turks did to the Armenians. He said, “I cannot keep from wondering how many brothers and sisters in Christ I would have if we would have not killed them.” He broke down and wept. He could not go on speaking. The translator, church and I did not know what to do. It was very moving. Then all of the sudden an older, white haired, Armenian man in a suit walked on to the platform, hugged and cried with E. This continued for what seemed like hours, then E. walked off the stage. The pastor of the church encouraged those who wanted to reconcile with E. in person to come up and hug him. A line began to form and from young to old the church hugged and cried with E. An old Armenian widow came up to E. When E. saw her he broke down again, she hugged him and told him how they lost their homes and family members during the genocide. She said they never were able to find their son but she told him you are now my new son in place of him! J.
2. Kurdish pastor asked forgiveness from E.:
Here is an account of what heppened while visiting one of the Kurdish pastors and his church.
Thursday, October 8:
This was the first Kurdish services E. and I had ever attended. We met at 1:30pm with the Kurdish church and I was asked to say a few words in Kurmanji. I explained who we were, what our ministry was and asked them to pray for our work. E. also greeted the church and we sang hymns of praise in Kurmanji. After this I said in Kurmanji, “Xwedêyê me Hêja ye, Xwedêyê me Aştî ye û Xwedêyê me Hez kirin e.” Our God is great, our God is peace and our God is love. The Kurdish pastor looked at us and said, “Only by Jesus Christ could we have such love and unity for each other. Just look at this. Here present us Kurds, then Turkish E. and their Armenian friend H., and an American all of us together, all of us at one time enemies but now brothers and sisters!” He began to cry and said to E., “please forgive us Kurds for what we have done to you Turks!” They embraced and we all clapped! J.
3. Challenge for the Armenia church to pray for Turkey:
Whenever we had the opportunity to speak or preach we emphasized the need for the Armenian and Kurdish Churches to pray for Turkey. The best reminder was Mt. Ararat that is clearly seen from the Erivan the capital of Armenia. I explained that the lights on the mountain they can see at night are villages where our ministry is working and that is called Twin Mountain Province. I explained specifically the village of the two girls with the skin disease. I said that those girls in that village look down every night and see Erivan clearly and that when they, the church, look up and see Mt. Ararat I asked if they would please pray for that village and for God’s mercy in Turkey. I challenged them to pray with us Mat. 9:37-38, Col. 4:2-4 and II Thes. 3:1-2. J.
4. Teaching at a missions school:
The church in Armenia has been challenged to reach its Muslim neighbors. A missions school asked E. and J. to speak on how to effectively reach Muslims. J. and E. spoke on potential obstacles and how to overcome these, the importance of Ambassadorship, along with inviting the Muslim into the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ.
5. Prayer walk with Armenian church leaders and members:
One morning J. and E. met early with over 20 Christian leaders and members of churches and headed to the Armenian/Turkish border. There we prayed together for Turkey, we had communion together and prayer walked along the border for around 2 hours! Praise God for the heart of the Armenian Christians who are concerned for the welfare of Turkey. The Armenian Christian leaders drew in the dirt a map of Turkey, anointed the map with oil and wine and laid hands on the map asking God to bless and have mercy on the country!
6. Connecting with the three Kurdish fellowships:
Because of our work with Kurds we were excited to meet with the two Kurdish fellowships in Armenia and the main Kurdish fellowship in Georgia. This week one of the Kurdish leaders from Georgia will be joining us in Turkey! Other Kurdish leaders will come and help us with training! These meetings were invaluable for the future work with the Kurds in Turkey! There was one Kurdish woman at one of the Kurdish churches at Armenia that when she met us and heard us speak she was in tears as she told us that she had been praying for 20 years for the other Kurds in Turkey, and now the Lord was answering her prayers. Two Kurdish leaders from Georgia told E. and J. “I feel like I am meeting with two angels, because we thought no one else was trying to reach the Kurds in Turkey and now we can partner with you!”.
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Thank you all for your support and prayers!
J. of G.E.S.
If you feel led to support Gateway’s ministries please send your donations to:
Donations can be made online through New Horizons Foundation: http://newhorizonsfoundation.net/index.php?option=com_dtdonate&Itemid=5
More detailed information about EFT transfers:
EFT Bank transfer Credit/Debit Card Donations. The 15th of every month donations to Gateway can be electronically withdrawn. One can decide in giving if their electronic gift will be a one time gift or monthly. The transaction date for monthly gifts is on the 15th of every month. What is needed is the credit/debit card information (Name, Expiration date, Card Number). If the transfer will be made from a Bank account; a routing number and account number will be needed. Remember the project of the donation is Gateway Missions.
Checks can be made out to:
New Horizons Foundation Inc. (FBO Gateway Missions)
Send to:
New Horizons Foundation, Inc.4570 Hilton Parkway, Suite 203Colorado Springs, CO 80907
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Letter from Lou & Pam Hill
Praise God for His calling which is always accompanied by His enabling!
Having been through the most difficult ear of our lives, Pam and I have continually held on to this truth. Knowing that He has called us to this ministry has been one of the greatest encouragements of all. While there have been many times that our flesh wanted to doubt that God was bringing us through the trials, reminding ourselves that He has called us to this great work has been sufficient to keep that faith He had instilled in us strong and at work. Praise His dear Name!
Since our last letter, chemotherapy treatments have ended and another CT scan done indicating that God truly has taken all the cancer from my body. We had full assurance from Him that this was the case before the last scan was done, but it sure is nice to hear it from the doctors too. If I weren't so dignified I'd have to shout a little in celebration and thanksgiving for God's grace and healing. But wait, I'm not so dignified, so here goes...."WOOHOOO!" What a wonderful God we serve!
Now that I am regaining the physical strength and stamina to resume a full time schedule, the work of the ministry can continue as before my health problems. Please pray for us as we begin to fill our travel calendar again. Please pray for us that we might be a blessing to people across America as we continue our deputation. Most importantly, pray that our vision for the people of Macedonia will increase and that we will be able to see that vision come to fruition as we share it in churches across the nation.
A special thanks to those of you who have begun supporting us monthly. Your faith in God to use us is very encouraging. Your financial support, as well as your prayer support, is very important to us.
Please pray with us for the people of Macedonia; specifically, for the national pastors in Macedonia. With the national unemployment rate approaching 40% in Macedonia, the churches are very poor and the pastors have to do whatever possible when it comes to providing for their families. Pastor Byram Aliti, on of our pastors in Kumanovo, until recently operated a booth in the open market in the gypsy area. Due to economic conditions this is no longer possible, so the Lord will have to supply the needs of this pastor and his family in some other way.
Souls continue to be saved in Macedonia. Thank you for continuing to partner with us.
In Christ for Macedonia,
Lou Hill
Having been through the most difficult ear of our lives, Pam and I have continually held on to this truth. Knowing that He has called us to this ministry has been one of the greatest encouragements of all. While there have been many times that our flesh wanted to doubt that God was bringing us through the trials, reminding ourselves that He has called us to this great work has been sufficient to keep that faith He had instilled in us strong and at work. Praise His dear Name!
Since our last letter, chemotherapy treatments have ended and another CT scan done indicating that God truly has taken all the cancer from my body. We had full assurance from Him that this was the case before the last scan was done, but it sure is nice to hear it from the doctors too. If I weren't so dignified I'd have to shout a little in celebration and thanksgiving for God's grace and healing. But wait, I'm not so dignified, so here goes...."WOOHOOO!" What a wonderful God we serve!
Now that I am regaining the physical strength and stamina to resume a full time schedule, the work of the ministry can continue as before my health problems. Please pray for us as we begin to fill our travel calendar again. Please pray for us that we might be a blessing to people across America as we continue our deputation. Most importantly, pray that our vision for the people of Macedonia will increase and that we will be able to see that vision come to fruition as we share it in churches across the nation.
A special thanks to those of you who have begun supporting us monthly. Your faith in God to use us is very encouraging. Your financial support, as well as your prayer support, is very important to us.
Please pray with us for the people of Macedonia; specifically, for the national pastors in Macedonia. With the national unemployment rate approaching 40% in Macedonia, the churches are very poor and the pastors have to do whatever possible when it comes to providing for their families. Pastor Byram Aliti, on of our pastors in Kumanovo, until recently operated a booth in the open market in the gypsy area. Due to economic conditions this is no longer possible, so the Lord will have to supply the needs of this pastor and his family in some other way.
Souls continue to be saved in Macedonia. Thank you for continuing to partner with us.
In Christ for Macedonia,
Lou Hill
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Manila Flood Follow-up Report
As I circulated through the church, last Sunday, visiting with families and young people before the worship service began my heart was blessed. Story after story was shared with me about how God sustained their lives during the recent flood. LuAnn and I spent time praying for these families during the storm. Seemingly, every other person I spoke with lost most of their belongings in the flood.
Through the Flood...to the Church!
Our conversation was filled with stories of how they made it to church this weekend. Some rode military trucks through flooded areas, till they could catch public transportation. Others paid local boatmen exorbitant fares for a ride. Still others shared how they walked through water that was up to their thighs. But they were there, at church, smiling, singing, giving praise to an almighty God who met their need in the storm.
Not much complaining or whining over the tragedy. In fact, the Filipino people are some of the most resilient people on earth! Filipinos withstand tragedy with a smile!
Worship After the Storm
As the worship service began, the songs were all about living through the storms of life. In fact, our sermon topic on the weekend that the storm hit was, "Turning Tragedy Into Triumph!" This series was planned back in August and this specific message topic was scheduled at that time. Well, I guess God scheduled the topic to work with the coming storm He would allow.
As the people sang the words,
"You are my Rock, in You I stand,
safe in your arms that surround me.
You are my Rock, in You I trust,
safe from the storms that surround me!" I wept.
The Holy Spirit met with us. The people present had lived these words only days before. Often I feel unworthy to stand beside such incredible people of God, but this weekend was special. There were lots of hugs, always a word of gratefulness to God who protected whole families during the flood.
Record Attendance During The Storm!
In our Floodway church, Pastor Julius told me how he had a record attendance during the storm! To my surprise, I asked how that happened. Pastor Julius told me about all the people who crowded in the church to escape the flood. So he decided to hold a worship service! They had 600 people in their small facility. No seating, just standing - elevator style! Some were saved, but because of the circumstance, there was no place to deal with them individually.
Miguel Lazo...Saved Just In Time!
On October 3, during the Saturday service in Floodway, many people were still living in the church as evacuees. So Pastor Julius had all the people push their belongings over to one side of the room and held their regularly scheduled Saturday night service. Twenty-one were saved during the service! One man, Miguel Lazo, age 51, accepted Christ that evening. The next day, Sunday morning, Miguel walked across the street, had a heart attack, and went home to be the Lord. Miguel found Christ in the midst of the storm...just in time!
Many areas of Metro Manila are still flooded. The waters are expected to stay in some of the worst areas for several weeks. There is much to be done!
Thanks for your partnership!
Sincerely,
Greg & LuAnn Lyons
Megacity Ministries
Through the Flood...to the Church!
Our conversation was filled with stories of how they made it to church this weekend. Some rode military trucks through flooded areas, till they could catch public transportation. Others paid local boatmen exorbitant fares for a ride. Still others shared how they walked through water that was up to their thighs. But they were there, at church, smiling, singing, giving praise to an almighty God who met their need in the storm.
Not much complaining or whining over the tragedy. In fact, the Filipino people are some of the most resilient people on earth! Filipinos withstand tragedy with a smile!
Worship After the Storm
As the worship service began, the songs were all about living through the storms of life. In fact, our sermon topic on the weekend that the storm hit was, "Turning Tragedy Into Triumph!" This series was planned back in August and this specific message topic was scheduled at that time. Well, I guess God scheduled the topic to work with the coming storm He would allow.
As the people sang the words,
"You are my Rock, in You I stand,
safe in your arms that surround me.
You are my Rock, in You I trust,
safe from the storms that surround me!" I wept.
The Holy Spirit met with us. The people present had lived these words only days before. Often I feel unworthy to stand beside such incredible people of God, but this weekend was special. There were lots of hugs, always a word of gratefulness to God who protected whole families during the flood.
Record Attendance During The Storm!
In our Floodway church, Pastor Julius told me how he had a record attendance during the storm! To my surprise, I asked how that happened. Pastor Julius told me about all the people who crowded in the church to escape the flood. So he decided to hold a worship service! They had 600 people in their small facility. No seating, just standing - elevator style! Some were saved, but because of the circumstance, there was no place to deal with them individually.
Miguel Lazo...Saved Just In Time!
On October 3, during the Saturday service in Floodway, many people were still living in the church as evacuees. So Pastor Julius had all the people push their belongings over to one side of the room and held their regularly scheduled Saturday night service. Twenty-one were saved during the service! One man, Miguel Lazo, age 51, accepted Christ that evening. The next day, Sunday morning, Miguel walked across the street, had a heart attack, and went home to be the Lord. Miguel found Christ in the midst of the storm...just in time!
Many areas of Metro Manila are still flooded. The waters are expected to stay in some of the worst areas for several weeks. There is much to be done!
Thanks for your partnership!
Sincerely,
Greg & LuAnn Lyons
Megacity Ministries
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