Gateway/EPIC Newsletter:
September 25, 2010
Dear Supporters and fellow partners with us in the ministry,
According to the apostle John in his third epistle you are sending the laborers of the Gospel to the unreached and in doing so you are partnering with us!
“Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.” (3 Jn. 1:5-8)
Equipping the Church in Turkey: One of our tasks is to disciple and equip the church. “…equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,…” (Eph. 4:12). Our style of discipleship is life on life. Those in our church go with us when we share the Gospel and learn by example. Those see how we serve and learn to serve. Those see how we keep each other accountable and likewise do the same with them. They see our hearts, they are with us when we pray, when we sing to the Lord, and when we discuss the Scriptures and how they apply to the situations we are in. They also know we are not perfect and see us in our failures as well. We also will begin within one week intensive Bible, Practical Theology and Biblical/Systematic studies at Beytel church. This has been requested by many at our church and we ask that you pray for J. and E. as they prepare these lessons to teach them together.
Equipping the Church by Writing: Many may remember the book J. wrote in Turkish, “Aman Nazar Degmesin!”. (May the Evil Eye Have No Effect!). Our first printing was 2,000 and now we are down to the last few dozen. The second edition will have 3 new sections and many testimonies of how Christians here in Turkey, through Jesus Christ have been saved from demons, curses, the Evil Eye and have overcome temptations to revert back to old Folk Islamic practices.
A recent testimony (last week) concerning this is one man “A.” in our church that we are training for leadership. “A.” for weeks has been feeling conflicted in his heart because he had a Hodja (Muslim Shaman) make him a muska (talisman) for the purpose of when he speaks with people concerning the Gospel that the people would believe his words so that they would become a Christian! (Because of the talisman that he made would cause them to believe.)
He read “Aman Nazar Degmesin!” and was afraid to tell “E.” or “J.” because of their stance on such subjects. He was trying to decide whether or not he should continue to wear the talisman or not, and finally confessed what he did to “E.”, he was afraid to tell “J.” as he thought “J.” would be mad because he was the writer of the book that condemns such behavior as blasphemy against God. “E.” immediately had him take out the talisman, and in front of “A.” “E.” ripped piece by piece. Then he told “A.” that he must reject all practices (even if it seems like it is for a good cause) and spit on this talisman as a sign of his rejection. He also said he must get on his knees right then, confess and repent. At first “A.” was afraid to spit on the talisman as he believed it still had some magical powers, “E.” then spit on it, then after seeing “E.’s” courage “A.” spit on it three times, he then knelt down confessed and repented of his sin. A similar story from the books of Acts 19:18-19:
“Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.”
The second printing of this book will be within a couple of months and we look forward to continuing sharing God’s truths on these subjects that so entangle the believers and keep folk Muslims in fear.
Urgent prayer need now: J., E, Kenan, A. now in the East and need prayer for safety in their travels and unity among each other. Pray the Lord would lead them to share with the lost sheep in their travels.
Prayer for L.: L. requests prayer that she may have many opportunities to share the Gospel with parents of students that she is working with and that she would have the same opportunities at the school she has been working with special needs children.
God bless and thanks for your prayers.
J. from Istanbul
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Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
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Showing posts with label J and L - Missionaries to Turkey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J and L - Missionaries to Turkey. Show all posts
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Newsletter from Turkey
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Thank you for your prayers and support they keep us going to share the Gospel with the unreached and disciple the body of Christ here in the Middle East.
Evangelizing Muslims
One of our major tasks here in the Middle East is to clearly present the Gospel to Muslims. Here in Turkey the population is around 99.6% Muslim. We have developed a very effective and Biblical approach to sharing the Gospel. God honors our zeal to be Ambassadors for Him and sends many our way. Just in the last seven days we have shared the Gospel with several Muslims; it was the first time they ever met a Christian or heard the Truth. Here are a few stories from this week:
1. Hasan: Hasan is Kurdish and “M.” whom we work with made first contact with him and introduced him to us. Yesterday “E.” and I spent 5 hours with him explaining the differences between Islam/Christianity and the Qur’an and the Bible, and the truth of the Christian faith, along with our testimonies and answering his questions. Hasan said to us, “I have never heard any of this before, I now have to search out for myself by reading the Bible and the Qur’an to see if what you say is true or not.” He did not want us to leave him that night and wanted to spend even more time speaking about such subjects. We will be meeting him again next week. Pray for Hasan he is young, married and has a child. E. and I brought him to a point that he must choose Christ and reject Islam. In this society it is very difficult to make such clear cut commitments and many pastors even have wavered between being a Muslim or Christian because of societal and family pressures. Pray that the world and or Satan will not choke out the seed that has been planted in young Hasan.
2. Suleyman: Suleyman also Kurdish, befriended “E.” on a bus yesterday and for 1.5 hours. “E.” clearly presented the Gospel and the differences between Christianity/Islam the Qur’an and the Bible. This young man was also shocked to hear this for the first time in his life and was in disbelief. Like Hasan, he wanted to bring his own Qur’an and begin to read the Bible concerning what “E.” challenged him on. “E.” shook Suleyman’s world-view and beliefs at the core by sharing that Jesus is the Christ that was prophesied to come and not Muhammad. Pray that the Lord would enlighten the heart of Suleyman.
3. Barish: Barish also Kurdish, is friends of another in our church (Beytel). From 10 P.M. until 4 A.M. Kenan, “E.”, “Ah.” and a new member of our church “Bh.” Shared their testimonies and the details of the Christian faith. They also challenged him on the differences between Islam/Christianity, Bible/Qur’an. This man was so happy about what he was hearing that when he left them in the morning he said, “May the Lord bless you all!”. Please pray for Barish as we stay in continual contact with him.
Church life at Beytel: One of the most difficult issues that Christians from a Muslim background deal with is loneliness. Their families, friends and society as a whole reject them and all they have is the church. The local churches here are usually made up of 10-30 believers. Within many of the churches there is much back-biting, division, gossip, slander, jealousy and pride. Many are disillusioned with what they have seen. One believer I know has been a Christian now for 3 years and has already seen two church splits in two different churches! Our fellowship is now being known as “The 10th Village”. There is a proverb in Turkish: “The one that tells the truth is thrown out of 9 villages, long live the 10th village!”. We are considered now by many as the “10th village” which tells and accepts the truth. Everyone that has visited us has said the same thing, “We have never seen a church act like a real family, you guys really love each other and no one is out to see what they can “get” out of someone else”. Another person said, “When I saw that you guys were trying to do everything according to the Bible I became afraid of the accountability, because I have never seen anyone do this before”. Another person has said, “This is exactly the type of church that we need as an example for this country.” One man said after a worship service, “I have been in churches for 4 years and I will never forget this night, I have never worshipped God or seen the Spirit like this present in a church in my life”. This is not because our worship is so great, or our sermons are the best, but it is because of the love and care that we show one another. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another”. (1 Jn. 4:11) We also pour out our hearts before God and ask Him to create a revival in us that would be shown to the world. Continual confessing of sins and coming back to the blood of Christ keeping our focus on His word alone is our heart.
Pray that God would: Create a full and continual revival in the hearts of those at Beytel Church. Pray that God would cleanse us, protect us and grow us spiritually/numerically.
Urgent need: We never made it to the East last week, 2.5 hours into the drive our vehicle “blew up”. The engine is gone and needs to be re-worked. We have decided to retire the vehicle and just use it for local trips and now purchase a new vehicle for longer Zacchaeus trips to the East. The repairs for the car are upwards of $3,000. To purchase a used vehicle in good condition we need around $8,000 more. If anyone can help with any part of this, you will be helping put the legs on the Ambassadors of our King to take the message of the Gospel to unreached villages. Thanks for your help and prayers.
For the King,
J. from Istanbul.
Follow us on Twitter: Gatewayedu
Join us on Facebook: Gateway Educational
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
New Donation Instructions and new giving address for Gateway Supporters: New Donations can be made online by going to: http://www.epicinternational.org/designated_donation.html
Please make sure you designate your giving to Jacob Pursley (Gateway)
Or send checks snail-mail to: EPIC International115 Woodland Way, Suite 120
Canton, GA 30114
Please note or indicate on the check in the memo: PURSLEY or GATEWAY.
Thank you for your prayers and support they keep us going to share the Gospel with the unreached and disciple the body of Christ here in the Middle East.
Evangelizing Muslims
One of our major tasks here in the Middle East is to clearly present the Gospel to Muslims. Here in Turkey the population is around 99.6% Muslim. We have developed a very effective and Biblical approach to sharing the Gospel. God honors our zeal to be Ambassadors for Him and sends many our way. Just in the last seven days we have shared the Gospel with several Muslims; it was the first time they ever met a Christian or heard the Truth. Here are a few stories from this week:
1. Hasan: Hasan is Kurdish and “M.” whom we work with made first contact with him and introduced him to us. Yesterday “E.” and I spent 5 hours with him explaining the differences between Islam/Christianity and the Qur’an and the Bible, and the truth of the Christian faith, along with our testimonies and answering his questions. Hasan said to us, “I have never heard any of this before, I now have to search out for myself by reading the Bible and the Qur’an to see if what you say is true or not.” He did not want us to leave him that night and wanted to spend even more time speaking about such subjects. We will be meeting him again next week. Pray for Hasan he is young, married and has a child. E. and I brought him to a point that he must choose Christ and reject Islam. In this society it is very difficult to make such clear cut commitments and many pastors even have wavered between being a Muslim or Christian because of societal and family pressures. Pray that the world and or Satan will not choke out the seed that has been planted in young Hasan.
2. Suleyman: Suleyman also Kurdish, befriended “E.” on a bus yesterday and for 1.5 hours. “E.” clearly presented the Gospel and the differences between Christianity/Islam the Qur’an and the Bible. This young man was also shocked to hear this for the first time in his life and was in disbelief. Like Hasan, he wanted to bring his own Qur’an and begin to read the Bible concerning what “E.” challenged him on. “E.” shook Suleyman’s world-view and beliefs at the core by sharing that Jesus is the Christ that was prophesied to come and not Muhammad. Pray that the Lord would enlighten the heart of Suleyman.
3. Barish: Barish also Kurdish, is friends of another in our church (Beytel). From 10 P.M. until 4 A.M. Kenan, “E.”, “Ah.” and a new member of our church “Bh.” Shared their testimonies and the details of the Christian faith. They also challenged him on the differences between Islam/Christianity, Bible/Qur’an. This man was so happy about what he was hearing that when he left them in the morning he said, “May the Lord bless you all!”. Please pray for Barish as we stay in continual contact with him.
Church life at Beytel: One of the most difficult issues that Christians from a Muslim background deal with is loneliness. Their families, friends and society as a whole reject them and all they have is the church. The local churches here are usually made up of 10-30 believers. Within many of the churches there is much back-biting, division, gossip, slander, jealousy and pride. Many are disillusioned with what they have seen. One believer I know has been a Christian now for 3 years and has already seen two church splits in two different churches! Our fellowship is now being known as “The 10th Village”. There is a proverb in Turkish: “The one that tells the truth is thrown out of 9 villages, long live the 10th village!”. We are considered now by many as the “10th village” which tells and accepts the truth. Everyone that has visited us has said the same thing, “We have never seen a church act like a real family, you guys really love each other and no one is out to see what they can “get” out of someone else”. Another person said, “When I saw that you guys were trying to do everything according to the Bible I became afraid of the accountability, because I have never seen anyone do this before”. Another person has said, “This is exactly the type of church that we need as an example for this country.” One man said after a worship service, “I have been in churches for 4 years and I will never forget this night, I have never worshipped God or seen the Spirit like this present in a church in my life”. This is not because our worship is so great, or our sermons are the best, but it is because of the love and care that we show one another. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another”. (1 Jn. 4:11) We also pour out our hearts before God and ask Him to create a revival in us that would be shown to the world. Continual confessing of sins and coming back to the blood of Christ keeping our focus on His word alone is our heart.
Pray that God would: Create a full and continual revival in the hearts of those at Beytel Church. Pray that God would cleanse us, protect us and grow us spiritually/numerically.
Urgent need: We never made it to the East last week, 2.5 hours into the drive our vehicle “blew up”. The engine is gone and needs to be re-worked. We have decided to retire the vehicle and just use it for local trips and now purchase a new vehicle for longer Zacchaeus trips to the East. The repairs for the car are upwards of $3,000. To purchase a used vehicle in good condition we need around $8,000 more. If anyone can help with any part of this, you will be helping put the legs on the Ambassadors of our King to take the message of the Gospel to unreached villages. Thanks for your help and prayers.
For the King,
J. from Istanbul.
Follow us on Twitter: Gatewayedu
Join us on Facebook: Gateway Educational
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
New Donation Instructions and new giving address for Gateway Supporters: New Donations can be made online by going to: http://www.epicinternational.org/designated_donation.html
Please make sure you designate your giving to Jacob Pursley (Gateway)
Or send checks snail-mail to: EPIC International115 Woodland Way, Suite 120
Canton, GA 30114
Please note or indicate on the check in the memo: PURSLEY or GATEWAY.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
News From Turkey
Gateway/EPIC Newsletter
September 9, 2010
Dear prayer partners and supporters,
I cannot express the joy that I have in telling you what the Lord has been doing since we have been back in Turkey. There are many prayer requests and news regarding the ministry here.
Update on E.’s health: Within about one week we will know for certain but it appears that E. just has dysentery not cancer! He has been taking medicine for this and already feels like a new person. Continue to pray for his health as he has one more doctors appointment.
Update on Beytel West: We have been focusing on discipleship of our guys at Beytel and have seen fruit from this already. We are praising God for “C.” from Scotland that has now has joined in our leadership of Beytel. We are greatly blessed by his giftings and experience. Our focus this year is in the area of intense discipleship with Beytel Church. Pray for the spiritual growth at Beytel.
Need for ESL teachers: We will be continuing our ESL program in Istanbul and need committed teachers to help with this. We will partnering with another ministry here and use their facilities as it is in a very central location. Pray the Lord would send the right teachers and that it would be His timing.
Update on Beytel East: E. will be moving back to Istanbul to help with the establishing of Beytel West and the Kurdish church. J. and E. will continue to take trips to the location of Beytel East in Sodom to do follow up and other Eastern provinces that they have open doors to. We will be sending a full team back to Beytel East to establish the base there. Pray that the Lord would send the laborers that would be called to go there. J. and E. leave next week to say goodbye to all those we have been working with and pack E. up and move him back to Istanbul. Pray for safety in their travels and that they may use this time in Sodom to again clearly share the Gospel.
Update on the Kurdish Worship service: We will be meeting once a month to worship in the Kurmanji language. Pray that there would be no fear in meeting to worship. Pray that the Lord would raise up national leaders for this work.
Update from L.: L. has been researching for her dissertation but is having trouble narrowing down a topic. Pray for the Lord’s guiding in this. Also she is now tutoring many children and one with Autism. Pray that she would have a great impact and testimony in their lives.
Short Testimony from J.: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139: 23-24).
I have been praying for quite some time that our King would show me the wickedness in my heart and refine me so I would be a more useful vessel. I asked Him to complete in me that which is lacking and remove the evil. I asked Him specifically for an intense cleansing. This summer our Lord granted my request. During this intense period of a month straight I did not understand that this is what I was going through and I was in despair because of the state of my sin and heart. I felt like I did when I first came to understand the mercy of God and came to Christ. At that time (18 years old) I wept bitterly over my sin but rejoiced in the unexplainable grace.
During this month period this summer almost every day I mourned and wept uncontrollably over the state of my heart. The Lord showed my sins and patterns in my heart and life that I did not know existed. I confessed and repented to our King and then realized that I was nothing more than a worm or a piece of dangling flesh. There is and was nothing good in me, anything that is or was good is only by the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the only one worthy to receive glory, honor and praise. It is because of Him and His work that we do anything good. I then asked the Lord to please hold back on sanctifying me to that intensity, as I could not take it anymore. I thought to myself, if I am this bad now at 31 how much more cleansing will I go through when I am 61, and what else is evil in my heart? The thought scared me. The grace of God is too much.
I praise our King for answering my prayer, even though it was the most difficult month in my entire life. It has lead to a revival in my heart and I pray that this revival leads to a revival in our church in Turkey and an awakening in the many unreached Muslims here. I encourage you all to ask the King to do a similar work in your heart. You will find out that you are worse than you think you are, but at the same time you will experience amazing grace. This at one time was a normal practice in the Christian life, taught and encouraged especially by the Puritans.
“In the spiritual world also I am dependent entirely on thee. Give me grace to know more of my need of grace; Show me my sinfulness that I may willingly confess it; Reveal to me my weakness that I may know my strength in thee… My sins are black and deep, and rise from a stony, proud, self-righteous heart; Help me to confess them with mourning, regret, self-loathing, with no pretence to merit or excuse;…”
[1]-Puritan prayer
God bless you all and thanks for your prayers.
J. from Istanbul
Follow us on Twitter: Gatewayedu
Join us on Facebook: Gateway Educational
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
September 9, 2010
Dear prayer partners and supporters,
I cannot express the joy that I have in telling you what the Lord has been doing since we have been back in Turkey. There are many prayer requests and news regarding the ministry here.
Update on E.’s health: Within about one week we will know for certain but it appears that E. just has dysentery not cancer! He has been taking medicine for this and already feels like a new person. Continue to pray for his health as he has one more doctors appointment.
Update on Beytel West: We have been focusing on discipleship of our guys at Beytel and have seen fruit from this already. We are praising God for “C.” from Scotland that has now has joined in our leadership of Beytel. We are greatly blessed by his giftings and experience. Our focus this year is in the area of intense discipleship with Beytel Church. Pray for the spiritual growth at Beytel.
Need for ESL teachers: We will be continuing our ESL program in Istanbul and need committed teachers to help with this. We will partnering with another ministry here and use their facilities as it is in a very central location. Pray the Lord would send the right teachers and that it would be His timing.
Update on Beytel East: E. will be moving back to Istanbul to help with the establishing of Beytel West and the Kurdish church. J. and E. will continue to take trips to the location of Beytel East in Sodom to do follow up and other Eastern provinces that they have open doors to. We will be sending a full team back to Beytel East to establish the base there. Pray that the Lord would send the laborers that would be called to go there. J. and E. leave next week to say goodbye to all those we have been working with and pack E. up and move him back to Istanbul. Pray for safety in their travels and that they may use this time in Sodom to again clearly share the Gospel.
Update on the Kurdish Worship service: We will be meeting once a month to worship in the Kurmanji language. Pray that there would be no fear in meeting to worship. Pray that the Lord would raise up national leaders for this work.
Update from L.: L. has been researching for her dissertation but is having trouble narrowing down a topic. Pray for the Lord’s guiding in this. Also she is now tutoring many children and one with Autism. Pray that she would have a great impact and testimony in their lives.
Short Testimony from J.: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139: 23-24).
I have been praying for quite some time that our King would show me the wickedness in my heart and refine me so I would be a more useful vessel. I asked Him to complete in me that which is lacking and remove the evil. I asked Him specifically for an intense cleansing. This summer our Lord granted my request. During this intense period of a month straight I did not understand that this is what I was going through and I was in despair because of the state of my sin and heart. I felt like I did when I first came to understand the mercy of God and came to Christ. At that time (18 years old) I wept bitterly over my sin but rejoiced in the unexplainable grace.
During this month period this summer almost every day I mourned and wept uncontrollably over the state of my heart. The Lord showed my sins and patterns in my heart and life that I did not know existed. I confessed and repented to our King and then realized that I was nothing more than a worm or a piece of dangling flesh. There is and was nothing good in me, anything that is or was good is only by the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the only one worthy to receive glory, honor and praise. It is because of Him and His work that we do anything good. I then asked the Lord to please hold back on sanctifying me to that intensity, as I could not take it anymore. I thought to myself, if I am this bad now at 31 how much more cleansing will I go through when I am 61, and what else is evil in my heart? The thought scared me. The grace of God is too much.
I praise our King for answering my prayer, even though it was the most difficult month in my entire life. It has lead to a revival in my heart and I pray that this revival leads to a revival in our church in Turkey and an awakening in the many unreached Muslims here. I encourage you all to ask the King to do a similar work in your heart. You will find out that you are worse than you think you are, but at the same time you will experience amazing grace. This at one time was a normal practice in the Christian life, taught and encouraged especially by the Puritans.
“In the spiritual world also I am dependent entirely on thee. Give me grace to know more of my need of grace; Show me my sinfulness that I may willingly confess it; Reveal to me my weakness that I may know my strength in thee… My sins are black and deep, and rise from a stony, proud, self-righteous heart; Help me to confess them with mourning, regret, self-loathing, with no pretence to merit or excuse;…”
[1]-Puritan prayer
God bless you all and thanks for your prayers.
J. from Istanbul
Follow us on Twitter: Gatewayedu
Join us on Facebook: Gateway Educational
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
Monday, August 30, 2010
News from Turkey
Gateway/EPIC Newsletter August 28, 2010
Highlights of the Summer:
1. J. of Istanbul successfully completed three seminary courses along with having many speaking engagements and meetings pertinent to the ministry in Turkey. J. and L. have had safety in all seven thousand miles of driving this summer!
2. L. successfully completed her comprehensive doctoral examinations and is in the process of writing her dissertation in the subject area of Special Education.
3. E. has hosted many groups and individuals this summer in both Istanbul and in Beytel East in Sodom. He and Kenan have shared the gospel with scores of individuals and continue to be a light to those around them.
4. M. and his family have faithfully discipled and been a light in the area of Y.B. (new church plant area). They have hosted many groups and individuals all summer.
5. Meetings with EPIC in Northwest Arkansas. J., L. and the folks at EPIC had several encouraging meetings in Northwest Arkansas with ministry partners this summer and we are praying for fruit to be born from the meetings.
Urgent Prayer Request for E.: E. has been ill for several months and recently went to the hospital. He had four biopsies taken from his intestines and after the results came back he has had three different doctors give him three different diagnoses. The first said it was cancer, the second said it was ulcers and inflammation, and the third said it was none of the above and he needed to be re-tested but in the meantime take antibiotics as that may clear it up. Please pray for E. that he would be healed, pray for wisdom in the diagnosis of the illness and treatment.
Prayer Request for Beytel East and West: Today (Saturday) and for the next several days we will be having meetings with the leadership of our churches to deal with issues in the church (church discipline) and strategies for church-planting and evangelism outreach this year. Please pray with us that those that have strayed off the path would have a contrite and repentant heart and be remorseful and restored to fellowship. Pray with us that the Lord would guide us to do His will in Istanbul and in the East of Turkey.
Prayer Request for L.: Please pray for L. as she works with special needs children this year along with teaching in private tutoring. She will have many opportunities to share with these children and their parents. Pray for open hearts to the Gospel and open doors for her to share clearly with those she has influence with. Pray also that the Lord would guide her in her doctoral dissertation writing, specifically that it would be glorify Him and be used for the Kingdom. (Below L. has a special request for you all.) Thank you for being faithful to pray and support the ministry here to reach the unreached. We love you and pray that the Lord would continue to guide and use you where you are at and here in the Middle East!
J. from Istanbul
(Letter from L.)
Dear Supporters and Fellow Laborers,
As many of you may know God has been directing me into the field of special education over the last few years. As I continue to work in the schools systems in Turkey I am even more convinced that God is leading me to work with children with disabilities and their families. The picture is much bigger than Turkey and I am seeing more and more the need throughout the Middle East for the education of parents and teachers in the area of disabilities and special education. As I talked with my department head at Regent, Dr. Mark P. Mostert, God has impressed upon me the need to get involved in discussing these issues and educating people on disabilities and the ethical treatment of people with disabilities. Dr. Mostert started a wonderful forum out of Regent University called the Institute for the Study of Disability and Bioethics http://www.regent.edu/acad/schedu/isdb/ .
I am interested in getting Christian doctors or anyone with knowledge in this area to help write short opinion pieces and blog spots related to the disabilities and bioethics. If you are a doctor or someone with knowledge in bioethics or know someone who would be interested please e-mail me. With new technology in medicine, the health care reform bill and issues in bioethics and the ethical treatment of individuals with disabilities it is essential that we as Christian respond and share what God’s word has to say on these matters. All over the world people with disabilities are suffering and subjected to poverty, humiliation, and death.
Educating the public on these issues can help us begin to reconcile these men and woman made in God’s image to their society and their God. Pray with me as God leads me to the forum and contacts that will help bring about this reconciliation.
Possible topics for the website are:
1. Their experiences dealing with these issues.
2. How they handle the issues as Christians and how they counsel patients.
3. How they deal with insurance companies.
4. Suggestions for people in their dealings with doctors, insurance companies and illnesses.
Please email me your articles and suggestions at gatewayeducationalservices@hotmail.com
Follow us on Twitter: Gatewayedu
Join us on Facebook: Gateway Educational
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
Highlights of the Summer:
1. J. of Istanbul successfully completed three seminary courses along with having many speaking engagements and meetings pertinent to the ministry in Turkey. J. and L. have had safety in all seven thousand miles of driving this summer!
2. L. successfully completed her comprehensive doctoral examinations and is in the process of writing her dissertation in the subject area of Special Education.
3. E. has hosted many groups and individuals this summer in both Istanbul and in Beytel East in Sodom. He and Kenan have shared the gospel with scores of individuals and continue to be a light to those around them.
4. M. and his family have faithfully discipled and been a light in the area of Y.B. (new church plant area). They have hosted many groups and individuals all summer.
5. Meetings with EPIC in Northwest Arkansas. J., L. and the folks at EPIC had several encouraging meetings in Northwest Arkansas with ministry partners this summer and we are praying for fruit to be born from the meetings.
Urgent Prayer Request for E.: E. has been ill for several months and recently went to the hospital. He had four biopsies taken from his intestines and after the results came back he has had three different doctors give him three different diagnoses. The first said it was cancer, the second said it was ulcers and inflammation, and the third said it was none of the above and he needed to be re-tested but in the meantime take antibiotics as that may clear it up. Please pray for E. that he would be healed, pray for wisdom in the diagnosis of the illness and treatment.
Prayer Request for Beytel East and West: Today (Saturday) and for the next several days we will be having meetings with the leadership of our churches to deal with issues in the church (church discipline) and strategies for church-planting and evangelism outreach this year. Please pray with us that those that have strayed off the path would have a contrite and repentant heart and be remorseful and restored to fellowship. Pray with us that the Lord would guide us to do His will in Istanbul and in the East of Turkey.
Prayer Request for L.: Please pray for L. as she works with special needs children this year along with teaching in private tutoring. She will have many opportunities to share with these children and their parents. Pray for open hearts to the Gospel and open doors for her to share clearly with those she has influence with. Pray also that the Lord would guide her in her doctoral dissertation writing, specifically that it would be glorify Him and be used for the Kingdom. (Below L. has a special request for you all.) Thank you for being faithful to pray and support the ministry here to reach the unreached. We love you and pray that the Lord would continue to guide and use you where you are at and here in the Middle East!
J. from Istanbul
(Letter from L.)
Dear Supporters and Fellow Laborers,
As many of you may know God has been directing me into the field of special education over the last few years. As I continue to work in the schools systems in Turkey I am even more convinced that God is leading me to work with children with disabilities and their families. The picture is much bigger than Turkey and I am seeing more and more the need throughout the Middle East for the education of parents and teachers in the area of disabilities and special education. As I talked with my department head at Regent, Dr. Mark P. Mostert, God has impressed upon me the need to get involved in discussing these issues and educating people on disabilities and the ethical treatment of people with disabilities. Dr. Mostert started a wonderful forum out of Regent University called the Institute for the Study of Disability and Bioethics http://www.regent.edu/acad/schedu/isdb/ .
I am interested in getting Christian doctors or anyone with knowledge in this area to help write short opinion pieces and blog spots related to the disabilities and bioethics. If you are a doctor or someone with knowledge in bioethics or know someone who would be interested please e-mail me. With new technology in medicine, the health care reform bill and issues in bioethics and the ethical treatment of individuals with disabilities it is essential that we as Christian respond and share what God’s word has to say on these matters. All over the world people with disabilities are suffering and subjected to poverty, humiliation, and death.
Educating the public on these issues can help us begin to reconcile these men and woman made in God’s image to their society and their God. Pray with me as God leads me to the forum and contacts that will help bring about this reconciliation.
Possible topics for the website are:
1. Their experiences dealing with these issues.
2. How they handle the issues as Christians and how they counsel patients.
3. How they deal with insurance companies.
4. Suggestions for people in their dealings with doctors, insurance companies and illnesses.
Please email me your articles and suggestions at gatewayeducationalservices@hotmail.com
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Monday, May 17, 2010
News From Turkey
Gateway Update and Prayer Requests from Turkey: May 15, 2010
ESL Program expanding: Three new ESL teachers from Northwest Arkansas arrived in Turkey today! They are now on the plane out to Sodom[1] to work with E. and meet up with “G.” our other ESL teacher from NW Arkansas! “G.” and these three are all from the same fellowship and we are grateful to them and to their answering God’s call to go and serve in an unreached land! They had a brief layover in Istanbul before heading to Sodom and they brought bags for Zacchaeus projects with them as well. Pray as we are considering sending them out in teams to “Crazy Man” province and “Thousand Lakes” province to start ESL programs and to shine as Ambassadors for Jesus Christ there. Pray for their safety, cultural adjustment, health and for a spirit of boldness and unity. I will begin to refer to this NW Arkansas ESL group as the Arkies.
Historical Kurdish meeting in May: E., K. S. and J. will be heading to another province to join with Kurdish brothers from all over the country. The goal is to see a network of Kurmanji churches started all over the country! Right now we are working on the first Kurmanji praise book and we are looking forward to meeting other like-minded Kurdish speaking brothers. Please pray for the safety of our travels, for God’s Spirit to guide us during this time, pray also for protection against forces and groups that do not want to see this take place.
Update from a small village in Syria: A Gateway Country J. has shared the Gospel in and that we plan on sending national workers to.
Recent Honor Killing in Syria: A woman’s life is worth 6 months in prison. Today I had a very saddening conversation with a Kurdish Syrian friend of mine. He told me the recent news of the latest honor killing in his village. A village where I have visited and shared the Gospel and have been praying now for over 6 years. Some question the work of missionaries and are even belligerent against those who are called to carry the message of Christ to other cultures. Some say, “they already have a religion and culture why would you want to change their way of life”. Let me explain just one example that you won’t hear on your local news about what goes on in these areas. Just this year in this small Kurdish village in Syria, a woman was caught by her husband in the very act of adultery. After much yelling and fighting he told the situation to her family. They took her outside of the village and executed her. This was done by her own family; the murderer will only serve 5-6 months as the Syrian laws look at honor killings as a necessary evil. Thus a woman’s life is worth 5-6 months jail time. On the other hand the man that was with the woman during the act of adultery is free and no one touched him. Why? Because if he would have been killed or harmed in any way that would have triggered a war between his tribe and the tribe that harmed or killed him. The woman was the scape-goat, the one that “dirtied” the family and to “cleanse” their honor she had to be eliminated. Unfortunately the majority of the village agreed with this decision.
Please pray for this village called “Tree” in Syria and that the Lord would send His laborers here.
J. from Istanbul
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New Donation Instructions and new giving address for Gateway Supporters:
New Donations can be made online by going to:
http://www.epicinternational.org/designated_donation.html
Please make sure you designate your giving to Jacob Pursley (Gateway)
Or send checks snail-mail to:
EPIC International
115 Woodland Way, Suite 120Canton, GA 30114
Please note or indicate on the check in the memo: PURSLEY or GATEWAY.
[1] For those of you that are interested in why we call Sodom, Sodom J. has written a cultural article on Sodom and the depravity of the area. Respond back to this email requesting the article and he will send it.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
News from Turkey
Gateway/EPIC Newsletter: April 19, 2010
God is answering the prayers that you have offered up for us:
1. That God would open doors to preach the Gospel and that we may be able to preach it clearly and boldly.
2. That the Word of God would speed ahead and be honored as it goes.
3. That God would send more laborers into the harvest, as there are few true workers though the work is great. Thank you all for continuing to keep us in your prayers during this very busy month.
Here is just a glimpse of what has been happening, and how God is answering your prayers:
Preaching at a Mosque in Sodom: We had the opportunity in this dark and lost city to preach the Gospel boldly and answer questions concerning Christianity at the front of a very famous mosque. This mosque is famous for Folk Muslims to come to make vows, sacrifices and pray at the tombs of the dead Muslim saints. An older woman that J. knew from the mosque when speaking there before recognized J. and began to speak to him, remembering their previous conversation about Christianity. The woman asked J. about the Qur’an, Muhammad and his opinion concerning them. J. replied that “Jesus was above all prophets and even according to the Qur’an Jesus is higher and more exalted than Muhammad. As Jesus was the only sinless prophet, born of a virgin, and one that raised the dead and healed the sick and made the blind see. He is also the only prophet that is not lying in a grave like those entombed in the mosque and Muhammad is even in his tomb.” This caused quite a stir and soon J. had a large crowd of young and old, children, men and women gathered around to hear this new news. Many of the people had questions concerning the reliability of the Bible and about the person of Jesus and why Christians believe He was the last prophet. This gave J. the opportunity to share in detail the story of God’s plan for salvation starting with Adam and Eve ending with Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. J. said, “The promise of God is that the one who believes in Jesus Christ will have eternal life, and this is the hope, and only in Christianity can one know 100% that they will be in heaven with God”. The local Qur’anic teacher came up with her students and asked many questions and argued over points concerning the person of Jesus. Later the Imam of the mosque came and asked if J. would come inside that they may discuss further these matters. Two hours had passed at the steps of the mosque. Right before J. left one very old and frail woman came up to J., but did not speak Turkish only Kurmanji, she asked if J. would pray for her son that was in jail for something he didn’t do. J. prayed there for the elderly woman and for those who listened in. J. challenged all there to read the Bible, for even the Qur’an admonishes Muslims to read it.
Prayer points: Pray that these seeds would grow in the hearts of those who heard and that many would come out of the darkness and into the marvelous light.
Preaching the Gospel and teaching the Bible to ESL students in Sodom: Since we began an ESL program in Sodom the Lord has opened the doors to preach the Gospel clearly to the students. Our intern Zurafa helped begin this ministry and now it is continued by “G.” who came from Northwest Arkansas to help. E. has the opportunity to share with the students, before class, during breaks and after class. Sometimes the whole class time is taken up answering questions concerning what Christians believe, what the Bible is, why Christians do not accept the Qur’an or Muhammad etc… Recently the students were able to hear clearly the Gospel from Adam and Eve through the advent of Christ. They asked, “Why do you not believe Muhammad is the last prophet or accept him.” This opened the door to explain God’s plan for salvation and how all prophets only speak of Jesus as the one to come to save His people. Either all the prophets are liars or they are telling the truth. The students were challenged to believe in Christ. They asked to see what a Christian prayer is like, and were able to see us Christians at Beytel East pray before the Lord on behalf of the students and their families. They were touched to see such prayer as none like it exists in Islam. After this one of the students wanted to speak with E. privately about the faith!
To see pics from the ESL class go here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile
Prayer Points: Please pray for these ongoing lessons at Beytel East (Sodom) 5 days a week. Pray for G. who is away from his home country and familiar surroundings in a very dark place. Pray for his encouragement and perseverance. Pray that these students would come to faith in the Messiah, Jesus and give their lives to Him. We are waiting for the Lord to bring the harvest in.
Trip to Northern Iraq: This trip taken by E., K. two guests and supporters from Arkansas, and many from the EPIC team. Their trip was blessed as they were able to encourage many national Kurdish believers in Iraq and also many Iranian believers that came over from the border. They made many good contacts and shared with many eager to hear the truth along the way! Many former Kurdish terrorists are now believers in the Prince of Peace and left their life on the mountain and are now serving the King that brings true Hope! We praise God for our brothers and sisters in Northern Iraq and are privileged now to partner with them!
Personal Evangelism Update: Please pray for Zafer, Zehra, Metin, Adnan, Kadir, Zuhal, Deniz, Mustafa, Sibel and Orhan, whom we have been sharing the Gospel with since our last newsletter. We have given them the Bible, and or other materials on Christianity, some we have watched the Jesus Film with and we continue to pray and water, waiting for their hearts to be opened to the Truth. Please pray with us concerning them as well!
Requests from E. in Sodom: We need English teachers (ESL) to come, live and teach in Sodom, preferably a young couple. We have another opportunity to use English to share the Gospel to 25 more students in a province just south of here in Sodom. They asked us today to send a teacher to them to come and spend at least 2 days a week to teach! Please pray and ask God if He would like for you to come and help in Sodom and in this Southern province. We need a building/place that we own to have a permanent place to give ESL lessons, a base in the East to store Zacchaeus projects goods, evangelistic materials, and house the weekly guests that come in and have Bible studies with seekers. Please ask God if He would have you help in this way. -Please keep us in our prayers concerning the requests that we made in the last newsletter as much more is happening this month! Thank you and we love you all!
J. from Istanbul
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Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
New Donation Instructions and new giving address for Gateway Supporters: New Donations can be made online by going to: http://www.epicinternational.org/designated_donation.html
Please make sure you designate your giving to Jacob Pursley (Gateway)
Or send checks snail-mail to: EPIC International 115 Woodland Way, Suite 120
Canton, GA 30114
Canton, GA 30114
Please note or indicate on the check in the memo: PURSLEY or GATEWAY.
Monday, April 5, 2010
News from Turkey
Gateway/EPIC Newsletter from Turkey: April 4, 2010
The Lord is Risen! Rab Dirildi! (Turkish) Xudan Vejîya! (Kurmanji)
Dear partners in the ministry,
The Risen Lord is moving here in this country and in the ministry that we have been given. We have been blessed more than ever and at the same time we have been given more work from the King. Please we need you to take the burden off of us by partnering in prayer with us for the major events taking place in April and May. They are so important and need to be bathed in prayer. Pray as you read over these and then please try to set aside a time of prayer and fasting for each. I am burdened for all of this beyond explanation.
1. EPIC/Gateway to go to a neighboring country next week:
Pray as we travel next week (April 7-12) to the East and then on to a neighboring country. Pray that many good contacts would be made, that the Lord would speak through and use “Jn.” “E.” and “M.” in a mighty way in the lives of the people whom they will speak to. Pray for safe passage to and from the country. This will be Kenan’s first ministry trip outside of Turkey and we are excited to see him grow and to be used of the Lord.
2. Short-term Evangelistic Trip to several Eastern provinces:
From April 20-28th “C.” a brother from Scotland, E. K., J. and a new national in training with Gateway/EPIC to reach the Kurds named “A.” will be heading out to villages in the East in search of the King’s lost sheep.
As we go we need much prayer:
1. For our unity.
2. For our protection from road hazards, terrorists, evil men who oppose the Gospel.
3. For our health.
4. For open doors in new unreached villages and that the Word of the Lord would be accepted as we preach, and that we would preach boldly as we ought to.
5. That the Word would speed ahead and that it would honored.
6. For the Holy Spirit to give us a sensitivity to His leading as we speak, as we travel and what villages to go to and how long to stay at each place.
6. Pray for “A.” as this will be his first experience to do something like this, pray that he would be encouraged and God would lead him to be a strong leader. Please pray and fast for this.
Remember when we do these trips we are usually the first Ambassadors for the King that people in these areas have ever meet, and Satan hates what we are doing.
3. Zacchaeus Projects goes to the East (English and Martial Arts):
The first week of May we will be in 2 villages in the Kurdish region of Turkey. We will be offering English lessons and sports/martial arts programs at the schools in villages. “G.,” our ESL teacher now in Sodom with E., will be helping lead the English part of the program. Many national believers will be heading to these areas with us as well to be ambassadors for the King. Pray as it will be the first time that these children and villagers will have ever met with Christians. Pray that we would show the Love of the King to all we meet both in our words and actions. Pray that many open doors and hearts would be waiting for us and the message that we bring. Pray for the health of our team (maybe 10) and that all would be organized well. Pray for safety as traveling can be dangerous out there and there are many that oppose this work.
4. Kurmanji Worship service Update:
On Thursday, April 01, 2010 at 7 pm the Kurdish believers were able to worship the King in their native tongue for the 2nd time in the history of the country. This time we had a special guest who plays an instrument native to the region (Saz). He has written several praise songs in Kurmanji and we were able to learn them that night. Many of them said that their hearts burned when they heard these new praise songs in their language! J.’s sermon that night was entitled: “The Kurds have no friends but the mountains?”,which was taken from a very famous proverb in their language. The Kurds in general believe that because no one has come to their defense, because no one has come to their aide, and because no one’s heart burned when they have been killed, that the only place they can have refuge and receive help is from the mountains. They run to the mountains for protection and to hide. The passage that J. preached from was Psalm 121:1-2 which he believes to be the Kurdish Psalm. (Kurmanji readers may read the sermon below.)
Prayer requests: Praise God we have been able to do this twice with little incident. There were however, two Kurdish believers who were too afraid to come. They believe there will be a raid on what we are doing and are afraid to be a part of it. Pray that this spirit of fear would be turned into a spirit of peace in their hearts. Pray that the Lord would continue to send us leaders to help with this service. Pray that the Spirit would lead us as we prepare for the next service to be held in May.
5. Beytel West:
The Lord has led us to start a new church plant in Y.B. in the city and we have been meeting there now for over a month. Pray for the growth of the new church in a part of the city that has never had a church before! Pray that “Z.”, a girl whom we are sharing with, would come to faith. “Z.” came to worship for the first time this Easter Sunday!
6. Beytel East/Sodom Update:
The Lord has provided finances for Kenan to buy a taxi! He purchased the taxi last week and it should be on the road within another week! We praise the Lord for using brothers and sisters to help with this! “G.” our ESL teacher from N.W. Arkansas has taught a full week of classes and the Lord has already allowed for the Gospel to be shared in full to all the students! E. has been taking full advantage of “G.” being with him there. Pray for two new men that seem very close to faith. Pray that the Lord would open their hearts. Pray also that those in the ESL class would open their hearts to the message and give their lives to the King. Please pray for the protection of E., K., and G. as there are many in that city that oppose the Gospel and the enemy hates what they are doing.
Thank you for your prayers and support,
J.
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New Donation Instructions and new giving address for Gateway Supporters:
New Donations can be made online by going to: http://www.epicinternational.org/designated_donation.html
Please make sure you designate your giving to Jacob Pursley (Gateway)
Or send checks snail-mail to: EPIC International 115 Woodland Way, Suite 120
Canton, GA 30114
Canton, GA 30114
Please note or indicate on the check in the memo: PURSLEY or GATEWAY.
(Kurdish Sermon given by J. on April 1st 2010)
Waaz: Zebûr 121:1-2: Bê Çiyayan hevalên Kurdan tuneye? Xêştirin çiyayan hevalên Kurdan qet tuneye. Çend salan borî, yanî dema ez zimanê Kurdî hîn bûm min xwend: “bê çiyayan hevalên kurdan tuneye” û Ev hefte li ser vî yekî min peyvekî xwend. Û ev peyv min teşwîqê fikrandinê kir. Peyv ev e: Ji gotina “bê çiyayan hevalên kurdan tuneye” mirov dikare gelek înformasyonên girîng û fireh derîne.
A yekê; di Kurdîstanê da çiya hene.
Hevalên kurdan tuneye.
Li hember dijminan tu kes li wan pişt derneketiye.
Tu kesî heqê wan neparastiye.
Tu kesî dilê xwe bi wan neşewitandiye. Bi serpêhatî û tecrubeyên xwe fam kirine ku çiyayên wan herî hevalên wan yên saxlem û mezbût in.
Çiyayên wan, di rojên teng da ew star kirine, ew parastine.
Ew ji kuştin û mirinê hemet kirine.
Gotina “bê çiyayan hevalên kurdan tuneye”, tenêmayî û bêxwedîbûyina[1][1] kurdan jî îfade dike. Ji ber ku; ji heval û hogiran ra îhtiyacekê wan ê mezin heye. Loma kurd her tim li heval û hogiran digerin û hesreta wan dikşînin. Kurd difikrin kû bê çiyayan hevalên wan nîne, tu kese kî heqê wan neparastiye[2][2], tu kese kî dilê xwe bi wan neşewitandiye. Di rojên zor de çavên xwe ra dikin çiyayan. Lê gotina “bê çiyayan hevalên Kurdan tuneye” ne rast e. Ev gotin pir şaş e. Belki borî wusa hîsê me hebû lê li gora Peyva Xwedê gotina cuda/ferq heye. Peyxamber Davut ji dijminê wî revîya û ji kî alîkariya wî hat. Em li Zebûr sed û bîst û yek, yek û didu binerin: (vebikin) Zebûr 121:1-2 1. “Ez çavên xwe ra dikim çiyayan, Wê alîkarî ji ku derê were?” 2. Alîkariya min, ji Xudanê ku erd û ezman afirandiye ve were!” Di dîrokê[3][3] de her gav û her çax mirovan reviyan[4][4] çiyayan û xwe veşartin[5][5]. Û mirov difikirin ku çiyayan yê wan biparasin[6][6]. Beklî em naçin çiyayekî, lê em ji pirskirêkên xwe reviyan çûn cîhekî. Her tim ji bo me ew cîh, dive kû Xwedê ye. Ji ber ku Xwedê ji we hez dike û Ew qenc e. Tenê Ew dikare alîkariya me bike. Ne çiya, ne jî heval, ne sileh, ne jî dadgeh, ne welat, ne jî malbat nikare alîkariya me bike. Divê em bi Xwedê ewle bibin.[7][7] Û divê em bi Îsa Mesîh bawer bikin. Em her gav çavên xwe ra bikin Îsa Mesîh. Ji ber ku ji Îsa Mesîh xilas kirina me tê. Û alîkarina me ji Îsa Mesîh tê. Yûhenna 3:14-15 14. Çawa ku Mûsa di çolê de mar bilind kir, divê Kurê Mirov jî ûsa bilindî jor bibe; 15. Da ku, her kesê bawerî bi wî bîne[8][8], bila helaq nebe; lê jiyana wî ya ebedî hebe. Min “ji heval û hogiran[9][9] re îhtiyacekê[10][10] wan ê mezin heye. Loma kurd her tim li heval û hogiran digerin û hesreta wan dikşînin.” Xwend. Edî li hevalekî negerin, edî vî hesretê nekşînin. Ji ber ku Hevalê we heye. Ew heval Îsa Mesîh e. Wî got: “Ez herdem bi we re me.” Û ji bo we û gunehên we li ser xaçê mir û sê roj paşê ji mirinê sax bû. Sê roj paşê ji nav mirinê rabû. Sê roj paşe vejîya[11][11]? Kesê ku bi Îsa Mesîh bawer nake. Niha bila bi Îsa Mesîh bawer bike! Neçin çiya ya. Nerevin çiya ya. Jibo me çiya qet tiştek nîne. Çavên xwe bilind bikin Îsa Mesîh çimkî alîkariya we ji Îsa Mesîh tê. Çavên xwe bilind bikin xaçê. Ji xaça Îsa Mesîh xilas kirina we tê.
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[1][1] Tenêmayî: yalnızlık bêxwedîbûn: sahipsizlik. [2][2] Parastin di zimanê Turkî de savunmak e. [3][3] Dîrok di zimanê Turkî de tarih e. [4][4] Revîn di zimanê Turkî de kaçmak e. [5][5] Veşartin di zimanê Turkî de saklamak e. [6][6] Parastin di zimanê Turkî de savunmak e. [7][7] Ewle bûn di zimanê Turkî de güvenmek e. [8][8] Anîn: getirmek. To bring faith in him. [9][9] Hogiran di zimanê İngilizi de companion e. [10][10] Îhtiyaç Arabî ye di zimanê Kurdî de hewce ye. [11][11] Vejandin, Vejîn, Vejiyan, Vejiyîn. ? rabûn. Vejîn: diriliş, Vejandin: diriltmek. Vejiyan: dirilmek.
A yekê; di Kurdîstanê da çiya hene.
Hevalên kurdan tuneye.
Li hember dijminan tu kes li wan pişt derneketiye.
Tu kesî heqê wan neparastiye.
Tu kesî dilê xwe bi wan neşewitandiye. Bi serpêhatî û tecrubeyên xwe fam kirine ku çiyayên wan herî hevalên wan yên saxlem û mezbût in.
Çiyayên wan, di rojên teng da ew star kirine, ew parastine.
Ew ji kuştin û mirinê hemet kirine.
Gotina “bê çiyayan hevalên kurdan tuneye”, tenêmayî û bêxwedîbûyina[1][1] kurdan jî îfade dike. Ji ber ku; ji heval û hogiran ra îhtiyacekê wan ê mezin heye. Loma kurd her tim li heval û hogiran digerin û hesreta wan dikşînin. Kurd difikrin kû bê çiyayan hevalên wan nîne, tu kese kî heqê wan neparastiye[2][2], tu kese kî dilê xwe bi wan neşewitandiye. Di rojên zor de çavên xwe ra dikin çiyayan. Lê gotina “bê çiyayan hevalên Kurdan tuneye” ne rast e. Ev gotin pir şaş e. Belki borî wusa hîsê me hebû lê li gora Peyva Xwedê gotina cuda/ferq heye. Peyxamber Davut ji dijminê wî revîya û ji kî alîkariya wî hat. Em li Zebûr sed û bîst û yek, yek û didu binerin: (vebikin) Zebûr 121:1-2 1. “Ez çavên xwe ra dikim çiyayan, Wê alîkarî ji ku derê were?” 2. Alîkariya min, ji Xudanê ku erd û ezman afirandiye ve were!” Di dîrokê[3][3] de her gav û her çax mirovan reviyan[4][4] çiyayan û xwe veşartin[5][5]. Û mirov difikirin ku çiyayan yê wan biparasin[6][6]. Beklî em naçin çiyayekî, lê em ji pirskirêkên xwe reviyan çûn cîhekî. Her tim ji bo me ew cîh, dive kû Xwedê ye. Ji ber ku Xwedê ji we hez dike û Ew qenc e. Tenê Ew dikare alîkariya me bike. Ne çiya, ne jî heval, ne sileh, ne jî dadgeh, ne welat, ne jî malbat nikare alîkariya me bike. Divê em bi Xwedê ewle bibin.[7][7] Û divê em bi Îsa Mesîh bawer bikin. Em her gav çavên xwe ra bikin Îsa Mesîh. Ji ber ku ji Îsa Mesîh xilas kirina me tê. Û alîkarina me ji Îsa Mesîh tê. Yûhenna 3:14-15 14. Çawa ku Mûsa di çolê de mar bilind kir, divê Kurê Mirov jî ûsa bilindî jor bibe; 15. Da ku, her kesê bawerî bi wî bîne[8][8], bila helaq nebe; lê jiyana wî ya ebedî hebe. Min “ji heval û hogiran[9][9] re îhtiyacekê[10][10] wan ê mezin heye. Loma kurd her tim li heval û hogiran digerin û hesreta wan dikşînin.” Xwend. Edî li hevalekî negerin, edî vî hesretê nekşînin. Ji ber ku Hevalê we heye. Ew heval Îsa Mesîh e. Wî got: “Ez herdem bi we re me.” Û ji bo we û gunehên we li ser xaçê mir û sê roj paşê ji mirinê sax bû. Sê roj paşê ji nav mirinê rabû. Sê roj paşe vejîya[11][11]? Kesê ku bi Îsa Mesîh bawer nake. Niha bila bi Îsa Mesîh bawer bike! Neçin çiya ya. Nerevin çiya ya. Jibo me çiya qet tiştek nîne. Çavên xwe bilind bikin Îsa Mesîh çimkî alîkariya we ji Îsa Mesîh tê. Çavên xwe bilind bikin xaçê. Ji xaça Îsa Mesîh xilas kirina we tê.
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[1][1] Tenêmayî: yalnızlık bêxwedîbûn: sahipsizlik. [2][2] Parastin di zimanê Turkî de savunmak e. [3][3] Dîrok di zimanê Turkî de tarih e. [4][4] Revîn di zimanê Turkî de kaçmak e. [5][5] Veşartin di zimanê Turkî de saklamak e. [6][6] Parastin di zimanê Turkî de savunmak e. [7][7] Ewle bûn di zimanê Turkî de güvenmek e. [8][8] Anîn: getirmek. To bring faith in him. [9][9] Hogiran di zimanê İngilizi de companion e. [10][10] Îhtiyaç Arabî ye di zimanê Kurdî de hewce ye. [11][11] Vejandin, Vejîn, Vejiyan, Vejiyîn. ? rabûn. Vejîn: diriliş, Vejandin: diriltmek. Vejiyan: dirilmek.
Monday, March 15, 2010
News from Turkey
EPIC/Gateway Newsletter from Turkey: March 12, 2010
Praise and thank the Lord for:
J. and E. had a successful speaking tour in the United States. They were gone for twenty-three days but were able to accomplish much during their visit. They had over forty meetings with supporters and churches and both preached/taught or presented together fifteen times during their stay. They also shared to gospel with two Muslims (AP Turk and AT Kurd) during their stay. Pray that they would both come to faith.
Highlights from the trip:
1. There was a revival in the hearts of many to serve their Lord and awaken from their slumber. Pray that this would be a lasting revival in their lives and would pour out into their churches as a whole.
2. There was a call for ESL teachers to come and serve in Sodom city, Eastern Turkey at a supporting church. The Lord called up many that night who were ready to leave all and teach immediately! This Sunday our first ESL teacher will arrive in Turkey from that church! He will teach for 3 months then another will come and take his place from the same church! This man “G.” left his girlfriend, home and work to serve the Lord in an unreached area. Pray for him and J. and E. as they prepare him for service, culture learning and spiritual combat. Pray for safety in his travels and peace for him and his family. What obedience to the Lord to leave all!
3. E. and J. taught on how to evangelize Muslims there were over 100 attendees at these lessons. Pray that those who joined the classes will take action, be bold and actively share their faith with Muslims in their areas.
4. E. and J. have been trying to raise funds to purchase a building that they can stay in and not get kicked out of. They also were asking many to help purchase a vehicle for ministry in the East and for Kenan’s taxi. There has been some good response and many promises. Please pray that those who said they would give would follow through.
5. E. and J. were blessed and encouraged more than those they visited could even know. We thank them all!
- New Church Plant Update: The new church plant in Yeni Bosna has met for the last 3 weeks now. Erl has been preaching through the book of I John. Those who have attended have been greatly encouraged. This is the first church plant in that area of Istanbul ever. Pray that both Erl and “M.” would be encouraged in their work for the Lord. Pray for protection of the small church and pray that the Lord would call many to Himself in the area of Yeni Bosna and grow His church both numerically and spiritually.
- Twitter Updates from “M.” from Yeni Bosna will begin this week. Please pray for his requests as “M.” and Erl are spearheading this work.
- Second Kurmanji Service to take place: Please pray as we have much preparation to do for this next service. Pray the Lord would guide us as we plan the worship, prayers and sermon.
For any written resources on praying for workers, evangelism to Muslims, Islam, apologetics, unreached peoples etc… please do not hesitate to ask and we will send you info.
Thank you for your prayers and support, J. Follow us on Twitter: Gatewayedu Join us on Facebook: Gateway Educational Website: www.gatewayeducation.org Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
New Donation Instructions and new giving address for Gateway Supporters:
New Donations can be made online by going to: http://www.epicinternational.org/designated_donation.html Please make sure you designate your giving to Jacob Pursley (Gateway) Or send checks snail-mail to: EPIC International 115 Woodland Way, Suite 120Canton, GA 30114 Please note or indicate on the check in the memo: PURSLEY or GATEWAY.
Friday, February 12, 2010
News from Turkey
EPIC/Gateway Newsletter from Turkey: February 12, 2010
First Kurmanji Worship service: Dêra Beytel
I want to thank each one of you for your prayers for this historical meeting. Last night (Thursday) we prayed, read Psalms, sang 6 worship songs and a sermon was given in the Kurmanji language. One of those who attended said, “Being able to worship in the language of my heart is something that I have only dreamed of”. Another said, “I believe that one day this will be the largest fellowship in the country.” Another brother commented, “When other Kurdish brothers and sisters know about this they will pour in, and we will have so many Kurds that will come just to hear something in their own language!”. (See Pictures of the service on our Facebook page)
The beginning of the service is provided below:
Ev evar çima em civiyan? Em Mesîhî ne û di zimanê Kurdî de îsa Mesîh bilind bikin û pesnê wî bidin. Di vî welatê da îbadeta Kurdî tunebû, îlahîyên Kurdî nedihat gotin, Duayên Kurdî nedihat kirin û Waazê Kurdî nedihat kirin. Lê îro wê Peyxama Yûhenna: 7:9 di nav Kurdan de bê holê!
This evening why have we gathered together?
We are Christians, and we wish to praise and worship Jesus Christ in the Kurdish language. In this country there has never been a Kurdish service, there has never been Kurdish praise songs sung, prayers in Kurdish have not been given and preaching in Kurdish has never happened. But today what the prophet John said in Revelation we see happening here among the Kurds…
Prayer points:
1. Pray as we plan for the next service that will take place the end of March. Preparation for these services is tedious as we have to translate each verse for everything preached and read into Kurmanji that is understandable, and this takes hours. Unfortunately there is not a usable Kurmanji translation available.
2. Pray as we begin to prepare worship material so that we do not have to sing along with a CD. There are a few who will help with this.
3. Pray for J. as he will be preparing to preach again for this next service.
4. Pray that the Lord would protect all involved from nationalists and others who would like to destroy such a work.
5. Pray that a leader would be raised among the Kurds to lead such a work so that it may continue.
Thank you for your prayers and support,
J.
Follow us on Twitter: Gatewayedu
Join us on Facebook: Gateway Educational
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
New Donation Instructions and new giving address for Gateway Supporters:
New Donations can be made online by going to:
http://www.epicinternational.org/designated_donation.html
Please make sure you designate your giving to Jacob Pursley (Gateway)
Or send checks snail-mail to:
EPIC International
115 Woodland Way, Suite 120Canton, GA 30114
Please note or indicate on the check in the memo: PURSLEY or GATEWAY.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Letter from J & L in Turkey
Gateway/EPIC Prayer Request from E. in Turkey:
January 24, 2010
E. has been sharing the truth with many Muslims out at Beytel East, the town where he is located we have nicknamed Sodom because the morality of the area is similar to the Biblical and old historical city of Sodom (now destroyed). Turkey in general is hard ground to sow seeds of the Gospel and water, and here they have something called töre (village laws) along with a mentality that they have been raised with that does not permit them to question any custom or belief in Islam. Because of this the majority of the Muslims not only in Sodom but in the world have never critically thought through their religion and if they do, they are harshly dealt with and if they abandon any belief they become “infidels” and therefore have left the fold of Islam, which can be punished by death.
As you pray for us here and those whom we share with please remember that the real battle here is with the demonic realm. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us of this reality:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Below is just an example of how we share the truth apologetically and how this opens doors to share of the salvation that God provides through Jesus Christ: (Translated)
(Turkish readers please see below).
I have begun to share the Bible with one of our students “Y.” I explained to him the prophecies and how all of the prophets point to Jesus Christ. I also explained to “Y.” why the Qur’an is false and why Christians do not believe in the Qur’an. I asked “Y.” questions regarding the Qur’an, Islam and Muhammad’s life. “Y.” said that he cannot answer them, and I am really confused about what I have learned about Islam and the Qur’an from what you have been explaining to me. “Y.” said that he had some friends from an Islamic order called the Nurcu “Followers of the Light”, and I will learn from them and then I will give you an answer. I said ok I am waiting. A few days passed and he brought me his answers, but then I showed him that his answers did not at the least have anything to do with the Qur’an and Islam, then I showed him from the Qur’an how he was wrong and he was again shocked. “Y.” again went to his friends of the Followers of the Light and they requested to speak with me personally. “Y.” asked me if this would be okay and I said of course. They came Saturday to our home, I sat with them and we talked for hours. We argued and I opened the Qur’an and showed the verses (about what true Islam is). At first they said to me that there is nothing in Islam or in the Qur’an that you are speaking of, and then I opened up my Qur’an and showed them verse by verse. They really became confused and broke down. They were cornered and they tried to change the subject. I said, don’t try to get out of this, answer the questions or accept that the Qur’an is false. They said if you give us permission we would like to research this out and we would like to come again and speak with you another day. I told them when they visit again I will explain to them how each prophet spoke about the Messiah, and that I would go through each prophecy one by one. I told them that I will show them God’s amazing plan for salvation from the Creation to the Messiah.
They said okay, and we will be meeting very soon and I will be explaining to them the prophecies and salvation in Christ after this I will be showing them the film God’s Story.
Please pray for this upcoming time of sharing. May the Lord open their eyes and the minds to the Truth, and may the Lord touch and soften their hearts. Please pray also that the Lord would speak through my mouth and give me wisdom as His Ambassador, so that I may represent Him and reflect Him in the best way.
I want to thank you right now for your prayers, supplications and your bowing down to God for this.
Although I may not be able to see your faces and hear your voices, I know that you are there and this strengthens me. I love you all.
Stay in Peace, and may the Prince of Peace, our Glorious King bless you and your families and grant you lasting peace.
Your brother, “E.”
Thank you for your prayers and support J.,
Follow us on Twitter: Gatewayedu
Join us on Facebook: Gateway Educational
Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
New Donation Instructions and new giving address for Gateway Supporters:
New Donations can be made online by going to:
http://www.epicinternational.org/designated_donation.html
Please make sure you designate your giving to Jacob Pursley (Gateway)
Or send checks snail-mail to:
EPIC International
115 Woodland Way, Suite 120Canton, GA 30114
Please note or indicate on the check in the memo: PURSLEY or GATEWAY.
Öğrencilerimizden Y.la Kutsal Kitabı paylaşmıştım.peygamberlikleri ve tüm peygamberlerin Mesihi müjdelediğini anlattım ve Kuranın neden yanlış olduğunu neden inanmadığımızı anlattım ve Kuran ve Islam, Muhammedin hayatı hakkında sorular sordum. Cevap veremiyorum dedi. Anlattıkların aklımı çok karıştırdı ve nur tarikatındn tanıdıklarım var onlarla konuşacam onlardan öğrenip sana söylicem dedi. Tamam dedim. Bir kaç gün sonra cevapları getirmişti ama bende ona cevapların Kurana , Islama uymadığını Kuran ayetleriyle gösterdim ve yine şok oldu.Tekrar nurculara anlatmış ve onlar biz onun kendisiyle oturup konuşabilirmiyiz, görüşebilirmiyiz demişler. Bana sordu tamam dedim. Bir gün önce geldiler. Onlarda oturduk ve saatlerce konuştuk, tartıştık, ve Kuranı açıp ayetleri okudum gösterdim. Önce dediklerime Kuranda öyle bir şey yok dediler bende Kuranı açıp hepsini gösterdim ayet ayet ve bozuldular,köşeye sıkıştılar ve konuyu değiştirme yöntemine baş vurdular. Bende kıvırmayın dedim ya cevap verin ya da yanlış olduğunu kabul edin dedim.Onlar da biz araştıracağız eğer müsade ederseniz tekrar oturup bir gün konuşalım dediler. Bende tamam dedim. Bir dahaki gelişinize Mesih hakkında ki peygamberlikleri tek tek size gösteririm ve yaratılıştan Mesihe kadar olan muhteşem kurtuluş planını size anlatırım, öğretirim dedim. Tamam dediler. Çok yakında tekrar görüşeceğiz onlarla peygamberlikleri felan anlattıktan sonra Yaratılış Planını izlicez beraber. Lütfen bu paylaşım zamanları içi dua edelim ve Rab onların gözlerini, zihinlerini açsın, yüreklerine dokunup yumuşatsın. Ayrıca benim azımdan Rab konuşsun ve bana bilgelik versin ki Mesihin elçisi olarak onu en iyi şekilde temsil edebileyim yansıtayım. Dua ve yakarışlarınız,secdeleriniz için şimdiden teşekkürler. Yüzlerinizi görmesemde seslerinizi duymasam da var olduğunuzu biliyorum bu beni daha da güçlü kılıyor ve hepinizi seviyorum. Esen Kalın ve Esenliğin prensi yüce kralımız sizi ve ailenizi berektlesin ve esenliğini etkin kılsın. Kardeşiniz E.
January 24, 2010
E. has been sharing the truth with many Muslims out at Beytel East, the town where he is located we have nicknamed Sodom because the morality of the area is similar to the Biblical and old historical city of Sodom (now destroyed). Turkey in general is hard ground to sow seeds of the Gospel and water, and here they have something called töre (village laws) along with a mentality that they have been raised with that does not permit them to question any custom or belief in Islam. Because of this the majority of the Muslims not only in Sodom but in the world have never critically thought through their religion and if they do, they are harshly dealt with and if they abandon any belief they become “infidels” and therefore have left the fold of Islam, which can be punished by death.
As you pray for us here and those whom we share with please remember that the real battle here is with the demonic realm. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us of this reality:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Below is just an example of how we share the truth apologetically and how this opens doors to share of the salvation that God provides through Jesus Christ: (Translated)
(Turkish readers please see below).
I have begun to share the Bible with one of our students “Y.” I explained to him the prophecies and how all of the prophets point to Jesus Christ. I also explained to “Y.” why the Qur’an is false and why Christians do not believe in the Qur’an. I asked “Y.” questions regarding the Qur’an, Islam and Muhammad’s life. “Y.” said that he cannot answer them, and I am really confused about what I have learned about Islam and the Qur’an from what you have been explaining to me. “Y.” said that he had some friends from an Islamic order called the Nurcu “Followers of the Light”, and I will learn from them and then I will give you an answer. I said ok I am waiting. A few days passed and he brought me his answers, but then I showed him that his answers did not at the least have anything to do with the Qur’an and Islam, then I showed him from the Qur’an how he was wrong and he was again shocked. “Y.” again went to his friends of the Followers of the Light and they requested to speak with me personally. “Y.” asked me if this would be okay and I said of course. They came Saturday to our home, I sat with them and we talked for hours. We argued and I opened the Qur’an and showed the verses (about what true Islam is). At first they said to me that there is nothing in Islam or in the Qur’an that you are speaking of, and then I opened up my Qur’an and showed them verse by verse. They really became confused and broke down. They were cornered and they tried to change the subject. I said, don’t try to get out of this, answer the questions or accept that the Qur’an is false. They said if you give us permission we would like to research this out and we would like to come again and speak with you another day. I told them when they visit again I will explain to them how each prophet spoke about the Messiah, and that I would go through each prophecy one by one. I told them that I will show them God’s amazing plan for salvation from the Creation to the Messiah.
They said okay, and we will be meeting very soon and I will be explaining to them the prophecies and salvation in Christ after this I will be showing them the film God’s Story.
Please pray for this upcoming time of sharing. May the Lord open their eyes and the minds to the Truth, and may the Lord touch and soften their hearts. Please pray also that the Lord would speak through my mouth and give me wisdom as His Ambassador, so that I may represent Him and reflect Him in the best way.
I want to thank you right now for your prayers, supplications and your bowing down to God for this.
Although I may not be able to see your faces and hear your voices, I know that you are there and this strengthens me. I love you all.
Stay in Peace, and may the Prince of Peace, our Glorious King bless you and your families and grant you lasting peace.
Your brother, “E.”
Thank you for your prayers and support J.,
Follow us on Twitter: Gatewayedu
Join us on Facebook: Gateway Educational
Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
New Donation Instructions and new giving address for Gateway Supporters:
New Donations can be made online by going to:
http://www.epicinternational.org/designated_donation.html
Please make sure you designate your giving to Jacob Pursley (Gateway)
Or send checks snail-mail to:
EPIC International
115 Woodland Way, Suite 120Canton, GA 30114
Please note or indicate on the check in the memo: PURSLEY or GATEWAY.
Öğrencilerimizden Y.la Kutsal Kitabı paylaşmıştım.peygamberlikleri ve tüm peygamberlerin Mesihi müjdelediğini anlattım ve Kuranın neden yanlış olduğunu neden inanmadığımızı anlattım ve Kuran ve Islam, Muhammedin hayatı hakkında sorular sordum. Cevap veremiyorum dedi. Anlattıkların aklımı çok karıştırdı ve nur tarikatındn tanıdıklarım var onlarla konuşacam onlardan öğrenip sana söylicem dedi. Tamam dedim. Bir kaç gün sonra cevapları getirmişti ama bende ona cevapların Kurana , Islama uymadığını Kuran ayetleriyle gösterdim ve yine şok oldu.Tekrar nurculara anlatmış ve onlar biz onun kendisiyle oturup konuşabilirmiyiz, görüşebilirmiyiz demişler. Bana sordu tamam dedim. Bir gün önce geldiler. Onlarda oturduk ve saatlerce konuştuk, tartıştık, ve Kuranı açıp ayetleri okudum gösterdim. Önce dediklerime Kuranda öyle bir şey yok dediler bende Kuranı açıp hepsini gösterdim ayet ayet ve bozuldular,köşeye sıkıştılar ve konuyu değiştirme yöntemine baş vurdular. Bende kıvırmayın dedim ya cevap verin ya da yanlış olduğunu kabul edin dedim.Onlar da biz araştıracağız eğer müsade ederseniz tekrar oturup bir gün konuşalım dediler. Bende tamam dedim. Bir dahaki gelişinize Mesih hakkında ki peygamberlikleri tek tek size gösteririm ve yaratılıştan Mesihe kadar olan muhteşem kurtuluş planını size anlatırım, öğretirim dedim. Tamam dediler. Çok yakında tekrar görüşeceğiz onlarla peygamberlikleri felan anlattıktan sonra Yaratılış Planını izlicez beraber. Lütfen bu paylaşım zamanları içi dua edelim ve Rab onların gözlerini, zihinlerini açsın, yüreklerine dokunup yumuşatsın. Ayrıca benim azımdan Rab konuşsun ve bana bilgelik versin ki Mesihin elçisi olarak onu en iyi şekilde temsil edebileyim yansıtayım. Dua ve yakarışlarınız,secdeleriniz için şimdiden teşekkürler. Yüzlerinizi görmesemde seslerinizi duymasam da var olduğunuzu biliyorum bu beni daha da güçlü kılıyor ve hepinizi seviyorum. Esen Kalın ve Esenliğin prensi yüce kralımız sizi ve ailenizi berektlesin ve esenliğini etkin kılsın. Kardeşiniz E.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
News from Turkey: Special Prayer Request
Gateway/EPIC Prayer Requests from Turkey:
January 19, 2010
Peace to you all, may the Lord bless you all and give you the strength to stay firm until the end,
Beytel East begins first ESL ministry in Sodom: In December 2009 we launched a free English class as a Second language program. It has been a success! Our intern, Zurafa has been the primary teacher along with E. They have accepted poor students who could not afford to learn English from private courses. These students come faithfully to the lessons 5x per week. Many of them walk 1-2 hours just to go to the lessons as they cannot even afford public transportation!
Two testimonies from the ESL ministry:
-During a recent class the subject of Christianity came up, they began to ask E. and Zurafa questions and the English lesson got cut short. The students said, “We want to learn about Christianity this is much more interesting, we will hold off on the English lesson till tomorrow”. E. began to explain the difference between the Bible and the Qur’an and why Christians are not Muslims and why Christians believe what they believe. The first seeds of the Gospel were planted that evening.
-Each person in the class was shocked to see how quickly Kenan recovered. Kenan was able to use this opportunity to share his faith and how the Christian world is a family and they pray and help each other!
Prayer requests and needs for the ESL class:
1. Zurafa is only in the East short-term. We need others who will come and take his place. By April we need someone who is willing to come and live at Beytel East and take over teaching these lessons 5x per week. Please pray that someone will be called up to take his place and be in the East by April!
2. Pray that God would open the hearts of the students, and that many may come to know Christ through this ministry.
See pictures of the class and Zurafa in action by going to our Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049039&id=1376664116&saved#/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile
Potential Honor Issue at Beytel East:
Kenan spoke with his mother at great length about his faith and even invited her to come to Christ. His mother and family are at a point where they must decide to accept their son and his decision, accept Christ, or attempt an honor killing of either E. Z. and or Kenan. Honor killings are very common in this country and many have been killed for much less than a change of religion. We are planning for the worst right now, but praying for the best. Please pray for the protection of our brothers out in Beytel East, pray also for a spirit of courage and joy, and not a spirit of fear. Pray that Kenan’s mother and family would have soft hearts and come to the King and the peace and salvation that He offers them.
Preparations for a Kurmanji Service:
J. from Istanbul has been working with other Kurmanji speaking brothers to prepare a worship service in their language. We have now gathered 6 Kurdish speakers that have said that would join this! Pray for this as we are looking for a good location to meet at. Pray that our first service would be Spirit filled and that this would be the seed for even a greater work. Those who are planning this with J. have told him that this will be the largest fellowship in the country. There is great excitement on their part to finally worship Christ, pray and listen to God’s word be spoken in the mother tongue.
ASET: Advancing Special Education in Turkey:
ASET is a new group whose focus is to help develop and promote special education in Turkey. You can learn more about this new Facebook group started by L. from Gateway :
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=241526049239&ref=mf
A few weeks ago L. met with the academic coordinator at her school and shared the importance of developing a special education program. She was very open and had already been thinking about the idea. The wheels are turning albeit slowly! L. prepared two Individual Education Programs (IEPs) for a child with ADHD and Emotional/Behavioral Disorder. The academic coordinator approved them and the next step is to work with the guidance counselor and the classroom teachers to implement them after our school break. Pray that this develops and God allows L. to make an impact in the lives of the children at school who are in desperate need of special education services. In the first grade alone there are children with ADHD, Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, Asperger’s Syndrome, Mild Mental Retardation, and learning disabilities.
Thank you for your prayers and support:
Follow us on Twitter: Gatewayedu
Join us on Facebook: Gateway Educational
Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
New Donation Instructions and new giving address for Gateway Supporters:
New Donations can be made online by going to:
http://www.epicinternational.org/designated_donation.html
Please make sure you designate your giving to Jacob and Lisa Pursley (Gateway)
Or send checks snail-mail to:
EPIC International
115 Woodland Way, Suite 120Canton, GA 30114
Please note or indicate on the check in the memo: PURSLEY or GATEWAY.
January 19, 2010
Peace to you all, may the Lord bless you all and give you the strength to stay firm until the end,
Beytel East begins first ESL ministry in Sodom: In December 2009 we launched a free English class as a Second language program. It has been a success! Our intern, Zurafa has been the primary teacher along with E. They have accepted poor students who could not afford to learn English from private courses. These students come faithfully to the lessons 5x per week. Many of them walk 1-2 hours just to go to the lessons as they cannot even afford public transportation!
Two testimonies from the ESL ministry:
-During a recent class the subject of Christianity came up, they began to ask E. and Zurafa questions and the English lesson got cut short. The students said, “We want to learn about Christianity this is much more interesting, we will hold off on the English lesson till tomorrow”. E. began to explain the difference between the Bible and the Qur’an and why Christians are not Muslims and why Christians believe what they believe. The first seeds of the Gospel were planted that evening.
-Each person in the class was shocked to see how quickly Kenan recovered. Kenan was able to use this opportunity to share his faith and how the Christian world is a family and they pray and help each other!
Prayer requests and needs for the ESL class:
1. Zurafa is only in the East short-term. We need others who will come and take his place. By April we need someone who is willing to come and live at Beytel East and take over teaching these lessons 5x per week. Please pray that someone will be called up to take his place and be in the East by April!
2. Pray that God would open the hearts of the students, and that many may come to know Christ through this ministry.
See pictures of the class and Zurafa in action by going to our Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2049039&id=1376664116&saved#/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile
Potential Honor Issue at Beytel East:
Kenan spoke with his mother at great length about his faith and even invited her to come to Christ. His mother and family are at a point where they must decide to accept their son and his decision, accept Christ, or attempt an honor killing of either E. Z. and or Kenan. Honor killings are very common in this country and many have been killed for much less than a change of religion. We are planning for the worst right now, but praying for the best. Please pray for the protection of our brothers out in Beytel East, pray also for a spirit of courage and joy, and not a spirit of fear. Pray that Kenan’s mother and family would have soft hearts and come to the King and the peace and salvation that He offers them.
Preparations for a Kurmanji Service:
J. from Istanbul has been working with other Kurmanji speaking brothers to prepare a worship service in their language. We have now gathered 6 Kurdish speakers that have said that would join this! Pray for this as we are looking for a good location to meet at. Pray that our first service would be Spirit filled and that this would be the seed for even a greater work. Those who are planning this with J. have told him that this will be the largest fellowship in the country. There is great excitement on their part to finally worship Christ, pray and listen to God’s word be spoken in the mother tongue.
ASET: Advancing Special Education in Turkey:
ASET is a new group whose focus is to help develop and promote special education in Turkey. You can learn more about this new Facebook group started by L. from Gateway :
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=241526049239&ref=mf
A few weeks ago L. met with the academic coordinator at her school and shared the importance of developing a special education program. She was very open and had already been thinking about the idea. The wheels are turning albeit slowly! L. prepared two Individual Education Programs (IEPs) for a child with ADHD and Emotional/Behavioral Disorder. The academic coordinator approved them and the next step is to work with the guidance counselor and the classroom teachers to implement them after our school break. Pray that this develops and God allows L. to make an impact in the lives of the children at school who are in desperate need of special education services. In the first grade alone there are children with ADHD, Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, Asperger’s Syndrome, Mild Mental Retardation, and learning disabilities.
Thank you for your prayers and support:
Follow us on Twitter: Gatewayedu
Join us on Facebook: Gateway Educational
Check out the EPIC’s Website: www.epicinternational.org
New Donation Instructions and new giving address for Gateway Supporters:
New Donations can be made online by going to:
http://www.epicinternational.org/designated_donation.html
Please make sure you designate your giving to Jacob and Lisa Pursley (Gateway)
Or send checks snail-mail to:
EPIC International
115 Woodland Way, Suite 120Canton, GA 30114
Please note or indicate on the check in the memo: PURSLEY or GATEWAY.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Special Announcement from Turkey
Gateway Educational Services Special Announcement:
January 1, 2010
· EPIC International to serve as administrators and facilitators of Gateway’s ministries.
Dear Supporters of Gateway Educational Services,
I am excited to announce to you all that Gateway is now under the umbrella of EPIC International as of today, January 1, 2010!
Gateway Educational Services began as a grass-roots/non-traditional missions organization in the Spring of 2002 and was founded by Jacob and Lisa Pursley. Gateway’s mission is to use Turkey as a Gateway country and choose Gateway cities to fulfill the Creation and Evangelistic mandates found in the Bible. This is done through writing, education (NUT School), mercy ministries (Zacchaeus Projects), evangelism, church planting (Beytel) and the sending of local missionaries to fulfill both mandates to the unreached. Our focus has been the least reached people of the country of Turkey, namely the Kurds.
Gateway is grateful for those who have administrated and facilitated the company, those who volunteered their time and finances; without them Gateway could not have accomplished anything. Since Gateway was conceived it had not found any other ministry that had similar values and philosophy of ministry until the divine appointment with EPIC International workers on January 26, 2009. After several meetings, fasting and prayer the board of Gateway has made the decision to come under EPIC for financial accountability and further direction for the ministry.
What is EPIC? EPIC is an acronym for: Enabling Partners in Church-Planting. They are based out of Atlanta, Georgia and working to fulfill both Creation and Evangelistic mandates in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Northern Iraq, Armenia and now in Turkey with a goal to reach the Kurds!
Why EPIC? Out of all of the ministries doing work in the world that I am aware of, I am fully convinced that EPIC is one of the few uniquely trying to fulfill the Evangelistic and Creation mandates Biblically without exception! One important aspect of EPIC’s unique philosophy for Gateway is that there is no distinction and or separation of “nationals” and “foreigners”. They truly see the “nationals” as partners in the ministry to work with as equal brothers and sisters in the ministry. Their missions’ philosophy is par to none, and I encourage you all to examine their website and learn from an organization that is doing the work well. I also encourage you to look at their projects page to see how they are fulfilling the mandates. www.epicinternational.org
What will change for you the supporter? Your prayers and finances will continue to go towards the Zacchaeus projects, J. and L.’s support, the support of national evangelist “E.” and the help of Beytel East and West, along with Christian resources. The only change will be the address of where your donations are sent. We will send you a follow-up update on how financial donations will be taken care of. You will also begin to receive letters from EPIC International, and I believe that you will be blessed by them as we have.
Please check out EPIC’s organization website: www.epicinternational.org
· If you have any questions about the change please feel free to contact: gatewayeducationalservices@hotmail.com
J. of G.E.S.
News from Turkey
Gateway Update on Kenan: December 30, 2009
Happy New Year!
In the Middle East it is customary for friends and family to come and visit one who has experienced a bad accident or was released from the hospital, especially in cases as critical as Kenan’s was. Because of this E. and Kenan have had guest after guest in their home day and night. Kenan used this situation to share with all those who visited that it was through the prayers of the Christians and because of Jesus Christ that he was saved. Kenan is now sharing his faith for the first time and many of his friends and family are now learning about his faith. The reaction could be negative, especially in a place such as “Sodom”, where Beytel East is located at, and because of the strict laws of Islam that considers belief in anything but Islam blasphemy and punishable by death. However, so far many of his friends are open to listening to the Gospel and asking him many questions. There has not been a negative response yet! Pray that many would come to faith from this and that the Lord would open their hearts to the truth.
Pray for E.’s and Kenan’s safety and for a continued spiritual growth in Kenan’s life.
· More news after Kenan’s accident:
Here are two posts from twitter concerning this: Sunday, December 27th,
1. J. from Istanbul: Kenan is sharing the Gospel with each visitor and as I write he is sharing with "K.". Pray that many come to know the King through this!
2. J. from Istanbul: Kenan is now telling all his family & countless visitors that he was healed by Jesus Christ. He is giving the glory to God!
December 28,
· Today (Monday) Kenan said to his mother that because of Jesus Christ and because of the prayers of thousands of Christians that he was saved. His mother did not say anything and Kenan said to E., “It is enough already, (meaning it’s time that) everyone should know that I am a Christian, whatever they will do to me let them do it. I am not afraid anymore.”. Kenan said to E., “If the Lord wills I wish to serve with you and do all I can to help as long as I live.” He then hugged E. and they cried, Kenan said that again they should say a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord and they did. E. said to me, “Once more I am bowing before our Glorious King the Lord for the miracle that He provided. Our God is living and is a God that is concerned with us.”
Immediate needs:
1. Medical bills for Kenan. $1,000.00
2. Replacement eye glasses: $800.00 (Special glasses for his eye treatments).
3. Help to raise funds for a new taxi: $9,000.00
Thank you for your prayers and help,
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
Happy New Year!
In the Middle East it is customary for friends and family to come and visit one who has experienced a bad accident or was released from the hospital, especially in cases as critical as Kenan’s was. Because of this E. and Kenan have had guest after guest in their home day and night. Kenan used this situation to share with all those who visited that it was through the prayers of the Christians and because of Jesus Christ that he was saved. Kenan is now sharing his faith for the first time and many of his friends and family are now learning about his faith. The reaction could be negative, especially in a place such as “Sodom”, where Beytel East is located at, and because of the strict laws of Islam that considers belief in anything but Islam blasphemy and punishable by death. However, so far many of his friends are open to listening to the Gospel and asking him many questions. There has not been a negative response yet! Pray that many would come to faith from this and that the Lord would open their hearts to the truth.
Pray for E.’s and Kenan’s safety and for a continued spiritual growth in Kenan’s life.
· More news after Kenan’s accident:
Here are two posts from twitter concerning this: Sunday, December 27th,
1. J. from Istanbul: Kenan is sharing the Gospel with each visitor and as I write he is sharing with "K.". Pray that many come to know the King through this!
2. J. from Istanbul: Kenan is now telling all his family & countless visitors that he was healed by Jesus Christ. He is giving the glory to God!
December 28,
· Today (Monday) Kenan said to his mother that because of Jesus Christ and because of the prayers of thousands of Christians that he was saved. His mother did not say anything and Kenan said to E., “It is enough already, (meaning it’s time that) everyone should know that I am a Christian, whatever they will do to me let them do it. I am not afraid anymore.”. Kenan said to E., “If the Lord wills I wish to serve with you and do all I can to help as long as I live.” He then hugged E. and they cried, Kenan said that again they should say a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord and they did. E. said to me, “Once more I am bowing before our Glorious King the Lord for the miracle that He provided. Our God is living and is a God that is concerned with us.”
Immediate needs:
1. Medical bills for Kenan. $1,000.00
2. Replacement eye glasses: $800.00 (Special glasses for his eye treatments).
3. Help to raise funds for a new taxi: $9,000.00
Thank you for your prayers and help,
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
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
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
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.
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Website: www.gatewayeducation.org
Thank you all for your support and prayers!
J. of G.E.S.
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[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.
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