Merhaba From Turkey!

Hey Everyone!

Its been two months now since I first step foot in Turkey. I have been learning so much with J! Language, culture, religions, apologetics, and a ton more. All the while building relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as those that are outside of the Kingdom of Light.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to share my faith and answer questions with many of the people I have met. I was able to speak with one guy for 45 minutes and another girl for an hour just answering questions about the Bible and who God is. Some seem very interested and some have told me "I think you are completely wrong, but I think you will live a very happy life." I really hope they come to know Christ.

I was blessed two weeks ago to witness the baptism of "W". It is always an amazing and greatly motivating thing for me to witness someone's public proclamation of their newfound relationship with Christ. I hope to see many more people come to know Christ.

In one month I will be heading to "Sodom" to learn from E. I was able to spend a few days with him here and really enjoyed my time with him. I can't wait to learn from him. Please also pray for wisdom and guidance in my decision for my future here. Right now I am leaning towards training to be a medical doctor. I have always loved the medical scene and this would give me a great freedom to go to many places and open doors for other workers. That would involve about 7-8 years of studying (or more). For those of you I told I would be gone for 4-6 months, we are leaning more towards 6-8. This way I can have a really good base in the Turkish language so that when I go back to Rochester, NY I can begin to reach the 15-20 thousand Turkish Muslims there. Currently there is no one that we know of that is working wth them.

Here is how you can pray specifically for me and the area here:
-Pray that God would raise good godly leaders in His churches here.
-Pray for much discernment for me as well as the other workers here for many decisions that need to be made.
-Pray that if that is God's will, He will open the doors to get me to the right college with the right classes.
-Pray that the Lord would open my mind to learn what He would have me to learn and to give me a humble and obedient heart.
-Pray that God will continue to guide my conversations and gıve me the words to speak and the courage to speak.
-Please pray that God would reach His lost sheep here and bring them out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light.
-And always remember to pray for your brothers and sisters who are in prison and who are suffering. (Heb 13:3)

Thanks for all the prayers everyone! They are really helping! And thanks to everyone who has given to help me get here!

If you feel led to support my training here, you can send donations to:

New Horizons Foundation Inc. (Check Memo: Gateway Missions/Zurafa)

Send to:

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

This will help pay for things like my Turkish classes, rent, and food. Any extra money will be used for projects here in Turkey (like buying a church) and will be given to J of GES to decide what to do with. You can give online at New Horizons.If you do decide to give online, you will need to send me an email sayıng how much you sent because there ıs only one account for GES.

Zurafa108@gmail.com.

Also for those of you who go to Victory Baptist Church, Grace Road Church, or Wheatland Community Church, you can put your donations in the offering box/plate and it will find its way to me. (I hope)

Thank you everyone who decides to give financially or to pray!

-- Your brother in Christ,

~Zurafa~

News from Turkey

Gateway Newsletter: November 7, 2009

“A band of polytheists came upon them while they were praying and rudely interrupted them…it was on the occasion that Sa’d smote a polytheist with the jawbone of a camel and wounded him. This was the first bloodshed in Islam.”[1]

This story is related from the oldest biography of the life of Muhammad written in the eighth century. The world shutters to think of how much blood has been spilt in the name of Muhammad or Islam since this time. Our King’s words are in stark contrast:

“But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also”. (Mat. 5:39)

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Mat. 5:44)

This week we mourn with and pray for the families of the victims at Fort Hood. This has made me even more sensitive to the fact that you as our supporters and prayer warriors should be even more aware of the realities of the evil structure of power that exists within Islam, but even more I wish that you would be on your knees in prayer for the King’s mercy for these that have been deceived. Please pray for them, befriend them,and love them just as the King does.

Remember that by praying for and supporting us here you are supporting a work among largest unreached nation in the world and that being Muslim. 76 million people and 99.9% Muslim! Now in the U.S. there are over 6 million, not to mention the large immigration of Muslims to England, Scotland and Holland where many of our supporters are as well. The King has sent them to you because we in the West have not fulfilled the evangelistic mandate to go and tell them in their countries so our sovereign God has sent them to you! Use this opportunity!

The apostle Paul was no different than a Muslim Terrorist yet the Lord had mercy on him:
“though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
(I Timothy 1:13-15)

Note for American readers: For our brothers and sisters in the U.S. do not pre-judge Muslims because of this tragic event. The majority of Muslims are peace loving, trying to support their families and have better life in the U.S. The majority does not know their own religion and rarely do they practice their religion, much like the majority of “Christians” in the states whom have not read their Bible, and go to church maybe on Easter and Christmas yet would still call themselves Christians.

G.E.S. Highlights:

1. Former Muslim Baptized at Beytel West!
Last Sunday, November 1st , 2009. “M.” whom we have been sharing the Gospel with since this Spring now has openly confessed his faith in Jesus the Messiah and was baptized. Please pray for his wife, daughters and grandchildren as he is now actively sharing his faith with them. Pray for “M.”’s spiritual growth and protection from the Evil One. To see pictures of the baptism please go to our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile If you scroll down on the wall you can view the pictures.

2. Kenan’s eyes are beginning to improve already! Thanks to the donations of many Kenan has completed 1 month of eye treatments and can see better already! He has another doctor’s appointment this week and will be coming with E. to Istanbul. Again all of you who have given financially for Kenan’s eyes treatments, we thank you, he is very grateful. We will keep you posted on his condition.

3. Beginnings of the first Kurdish Christian Church! We are at the first stages of gathering Kurmanji speaking believers together for prayer, worship and preaching. Please pray as this has never happened in the history of Turkey! We will have much opposition and will need your prayer cover.

4. Article Published with Evangelical Missions Quarterly: J. of G.E.S. had his article on how to reach Folk Muslims published with the EMQ journal October 2009, the title is: Research Evangelism among Folk Muslims: Calling Missionaries to Christian Cultural Anthropology. To read this article you will need a subscription to: www.emisdirect.com Please pray that workers to Muslims around the world would apply the practical applications that were given.

6. Please help us gather more prayer partners:
Dear Partner in Prayer,
If you have Christian friends who might be interested in praying for our ministry in Turkey and the Middle East and for Muslims, please consider forwarding this newsletter and the following message to them:

Dear Christian,
If you are interested in praying for the country of Turkey and for Muslims, please know that Gateway Educational Services is dedicated to reach Muslims. If you would like to receive this newsletter by email on a regular basis, please contact me at gatewayeducationalservices@hotmail.com and give your name and location.
Thank you for your prayers,
For the King,
Jacob Pursley
President of G.E.S.

Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gatewayeducationalservices?ref=profile
Follow us on Twitter: “E.” and “J.” will be giving daily updates via twitter.
After you create a twitter account http://twitter.com/ Follow us, our name is: gatewayedu
Website: www.gatewayeducation.org

Thank you all for your support and prayers!
J. of G.E.S.

If you feel led to support Gateway’s ministries please send your donations to:

Donations can be made online through New Horizons Foundation: http://newhorizonsfoundation.net/index.php?option=com_dtdonate&Itemid=5

More detailed information about EFT transfers:
EFT Bank transfer Credit/Debit Card Donations. The 15th of every month donations to Gateway can be electronically withdrawn. One can decide in giving if their electronic gift will be a one time gift or monthly. The transaction date for monthly gifts is on the 15th of every month. What is needed is the credit/debit card information (Name, Expiration date, Card Number). If the transfer will be made from a Bank account; a routing number and account number will be needed. Remember the project of the donation is Gateway Missions.

Checks can be made out to:
New Horizons Foundation Inc. (FBO Gateway Missions)

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

-To check out the latest pictures and info please go to our Face book page.-
Face book: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1376664116&ref=profile
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Twitter: @gatewayedu



[1]Ishaq, Ibn. A translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah The Life of Muhammad, trans. Guillaume, (Karachi, Pakistan: Oxford University Press, 2004), 118.

Letter from Mexico

South O' Border: November 2009

DR. & MRS LONNIE C. SMITH

Dear Friends in Christ,

Calixto Sepúlveda celebrated his 88th birthday this past month. He was born and raised in a Christian home in a small village near Linares, Nuevo Leon. He began his ministry as a teen and after marrying Lucha (Maria de La Luz) and moved to Monterrey to began working in a factory.

In the early fifties he worked with BBFI missionary Faye Blakeley in a mission in Col. Moderna. (This mission is now Gethsemane B. C.)In 1960 when we moved from Tampico (after 4 years) to Monterrey to began our life’s work he was still working in the factory and was pastor of a small mission. He agreed to work with me and dedicated his life to the full time ministry. He worked with me and was pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Col Martinez for over twelve years. Our highest attendance at the church was over 570. From that work over TWENTY other churches were established. Over 126 churches were established during our ministry. Bro. Calixto accepted a church in Chicago and was pastor there and in the Rio Grande Valley until today. He is still active in the Lord’s work.October was a busy month for us. It was a month of preparation of literature for the BBF of Mexico meeting that will be celebrated in the second week of November in Celaya, GTO. Bro. Angel Zapata and other pastors of the region will be going to this special Fellowship meeting where our annual mission offering will be given, and new officers of the BBFM will be elected. The BBFM has TWENTY missionary projects and are hoping to approve other workers at this meeting. Once again God has provided a minivan for the work in Mexico. A friend has donated a 1992 Plymouth Voyager to a Mexican pastor working Reynosa Mexico. The men’s prayer group of Canton Baptist Temple has helped with some finances to repair the vehicle for service. Praise God for the generosity of these people toward our ministry.Beloved, once again we are so thankful for your faithfulness in prayer and support for our ministry. Our prayers are with you during these difficult economy times.

Yours for souls in Mexico,

Lonnie & Margie Smith

Reaching the Aussie's For Christ

Dear Pastor and Church,

This deputation process has its features and its fall backs. I think the hardest is the phone calls. It is certainly a way of doing it, (it can't be the best) yet, we will eventually get to the field but the process gets tiresome. I love being in Churches all across our country but I don't like to ring to get the speaking engagement. I must admit I do like to travel, it is long most of the time...but the view along the way reminds me of how beautiful this world must have been when the Lord created it...especially this time of year.

It has been a busy two months on our deputation trail we have been in nine churches most of which where missions conferences...from Tioga, PA to North Carolina, then up to Johnstown, NY to Baltimore, Maryland, then south to Luray, VA then back to Louisville, Ohio then west to Eaton, Ohio then back to Jamestown, NY. We've had 98% of them indicate that they would like to be a part of our ministry and one has already rang me to tell us that they voted to do just that. Well of course what is coming in and that is now 56%. Hopefully next letter I can report a larger increase but all in the Lord good timing.

We have seen many people come to the alters and deal with things that the Lord has laid on their hearts, even some for salvation...so even though we have been called to Australia the Lord has given us a time to minister to the hearts of people here in the States along the way. We praise the Lord for every decision that has been made and I must admit...it is those decisions...that keep us going.

We, again, thank you all for the chance to share our ministry with you along the way and a special thanks to those who have come aboard to partner with us already. May the Lord continue to bless you as you serve Him.

Ron & Vicki Letts
Your Missionaries to Australia