Mark Logan

BIMI Representative at Large

“The entrance of Thy Word giveth Light” -Psalm 119:130

Sept. 20, 2010

Dear Praying and Concerned Friends:

I just returned from traveling hours every day teaching and preaching 13 of 14 days in Malawi and putting Chichewa New Testaments in the hands of over 450 Baptist pastors. In all of the regional conferences there were many more – deacons, ladies, evangelists, eager young people who wanted one but there were only enough for the pastors. THE GOAL IS TO SHIP A CONTAINER LOAD OF 35,000 for the pastors to distribute to their people who can read! My friend, Bobby Glasgow, a successful businessman and farmer from Alabama was with me and has helped with the funding of these New Testaments. He is very burdened for Malawi. Some pastors were ill and could not journey to one of the regional sites. I missed the pastor in Nsanje whose leg was taken by a crocodile a few years ago – he was very sick. In the first week there, we got news that a pastor near a game park had been killed by an elephant while defending his small garden. Another pastor I had known from many previous teaching trips had died just a few months ago in the home of my church planting national leader, Andrew Dzimbiri. I was able to give some money personally to the widows of these pastors which they will use to buy fertilizer and seed for the planting season as they are now totally responsible for keeping their children alive.

Of all the regions I was in, the most troubling was crossing over the border on Sunday, Sept. 12 into the country of Mozambique, an area which had had no rain in over 2 years. Everything was shriveled and desolate. The people greeted us so cheerfully and after preaching with about 8 souls saved, they presented us with 2 chickens to eat at the regional meeting the next day.

Please pray as we are wanting to send some of the orphan “preacher boys” (who have graduated high school) to a 2 year Bible Institute in Zambia (CABC) so they can train to come back and teach Bible at the orphanage and our own Bible College. Any help with shipping the New Testaments would be great. Thanks for all you do in helping me to teach and preach around the world. I travel to Haiti in 2 weeks and then Pakistan later in the year – two catastrophe affected countries.

Blessings in Christ, Mark Logan

The Fullford Report

MISSION MALAWI

Dear Faithful Friends and Fellow Workers for Christ,

LORD MAKE ME TO KNOW MINE END, AND THE MEASURE OF MY DAYS, WHAT IT IS; THAT I MAY KNOW HOW FRAIL I AM. Psalm 39:4

How true this request is! We pride ourselves on being reliant and being able to work within God’s ministry, but just say this prayer and hang on!
God showed Himself strong on both His and our behalf when we traveled down the Chikwawa road to Nchalo, then turned west on a rough dirt road and continued to travel into Mozambique. We had a schedule for 4 days of meetings at a Good Samaritan Church with other GSBM churches expect to come. What a blessing it was, when we arrived to be well greeted, and with enthusiasm. Our group consisted of Ms. Goodman, Thandie Chikufenji, Henry Chatata, Andrew Nyenga, Blessing Chikopa, and John Fullford. Our goal was to teach these dear people from the Word of God and both strengthen/encourage them.
After our arrival those not teaching immediately set up our camp site, and then started getting ready to teach or assist. Do to the lack of food in the area; Good Samaritan brought maize, cabbage, small fishes, oil and salt for the meals during these 4 days. Many people traveled from far distances to attend these classes and we wanted to serve them in the best way possible.
Monday and Tuesday were very sunny and hot during the day. During the Morning classes on Tuesday Andrew and John went out soul winning and had a great time of fellowship and telling people about God’s wonderful Gift of Life! After our evening meal we started to show “The Jesus Film” to about 400 people, and at this time the weather took a turn for the worst. The wind picked up, it started to mist and rain, and the temperature dropped. It was like this all night, Wednesday, Wednesday night, and right into Thursday. This did not denture us and about 80 dear souls that stayed with us. Many people left for their homes, and it could have been discouraging, but I believe God just culled the crowd and those that remained were serious about God and His Word! I shared this thought with those that remained and when I finished they started to sing and shout praises! The camp site was cold, wet and muddy and it brought Psalm 39:4 to heart. We can plan, but the rest is in God’s Hands!
On Tuesday afternoon we had a baptismal service for many of the people who had raised their hands for salvation during classes, and during our soul winning. John baptized 132 people over a 2 hour period. Just to get to the pool of stagnant water we traveled 10 kilometers down a dirt road, and then walked another 2-3 kilometers. These dear souls were serious, and believed the Word of God when it comes to the first step of obedience.
On Thursday afternoon we curtailed the rest of the classes due to weather; many of the people did not bring heavy clothing because when they came it was hot. They were cold, shivering and exhausted from sleepless nights.
On another note God has answered our prayers for a printing press! We have been given, free of charge, a Multilith 1250 printing press from S. Africa. Another missionary who has a printing ministry donated the machine to Good Samaritan with the stipulation that we transport it up to Malawi ourselves. What a Blessing from God!
We also have a commitment from a church in America to send someone over to Malawi when we receive it to repair it if needed, and to train our young men on the operation. Tell me God does not answer prayers!!
Thank you to all that continue to give even though your finances have been greatly affect by the American economy. We covet your prayers more than anything as God is listening for YOU!

PRAYER NEEDS:
1. Souls to get saved in Mozambique on our next trip
2. Dr. Gentry’s health
3. Provisions for printing John/Romans in Malawi
4. Repair and Maintenance of the Orphanage vehicles
5. Health for our family in all our travels
6.God would provide for the new Orphanage Project in Ntcheu
7. Shipping of our Printing Press

By His Grace & Mercy,
John, Darcy, & Johnathan

Enjoying village life in Malawi. The pot is always on just in case a missionary shows up and might need a meal, Go John, eat it up. God has someone who is our appointment for today!!

September Newsletter

The Gentry's Malawi Africa

Dear Supporting Partners,

Thank you for your encouraging prayers, calls and cards during my period of recovery. We accepted the challenge, call of God and risk to work in a third world country to establish churches, win the lost and rescue abandoned orphans and much more. My body has been riddled with various illnesses due to the exposure of life threatening diseases in Africa. However, we are not complaining or turning our back on the call of God. Thousands would be without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and others left hopeless had we not willingly placed our lives in the gap for them. We serve a mighty God who is well able to help us overcome anything the enemy sends our way. And so we continue the work victorious in whatever state we find ourselves. His grace is sufficient. Please don’t give up on us – your prayers and financial support are piercing the Dark Continent with the light of the gospel.

Bro. James LaCrone who prints thousands of gospel tracts and John and Romans booklets in Chichewa recently made two drop trips to Louisville, KY with hundreds of boxes of this precious cargo that we placed in another container for future shipping to Malawi. Thanks to many of you that are putting wings to the Word of God to reach the dying across the ocean. At the present we are still waiting for the financial funds to send the present container already full of urgent supplies. We need your help in this area as our missionaries eagerly wait for these much needed helps.

We have received requests for an update from our Malawi staff whom a lot of you met personally when they traveled with us in the states to visit your churches. President Henry Chatata and Children’s Home Director Thandiwe Chickufenji recently returned from a week’s trip to Mozambique where they visited our churches there and offered many helps to strengthen them in the Word of God. The team along with Bro. John Fullford and Ms. Sharon Goodman (School Administrator and Children's Home Assistant) were overwhelmed with the results of this journey, as they found these churches operating in dire poverty with joy abounding in His grace and mercy. Chris Gome our building and supply business manager is doing well and active again. Navigator Gome our government informer and numerous helps man, is now enrolled in a 4 year Bible College in Zambia where he desires to further his education in Bible to be a greater servant of Good Samaritan Ministries. President Henry Chatata is a very informative country man and tremendous teacher/preacher of the Word. He oversees the 400+ churches offering helps and keeping check on them through the evangelists under him. These men and women serve under the direction of Assistant Director of Good Samaritan Ministries John Fullford. Many other helpers assist these leaders named, in various and many ways to fully equip this vast ministry.

Thanks to our American staff and National staff for their tireless teamwork in ministering this great work and in advancing the gospel truth in Malawi. And especially to all of you stateside who dare to care by submitting your hard earned dollars to help finance this much needed cause for Jesus Christ. We are powerless without your prayer support also.

Listen come close and place your spiritual ear to this letter – can you hear the heartbeat of God for these needy people? His creation! Can you hear the heartbeat of this frail missionary, your partner, who desires to keep on keeping on to see more people saved from the fires of hell? Jesus is coming soon – time is running out – we must all do His work in some way. Psalms 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayers. What is He telling you?

Gratefully in His love & service,

The Gentry’s (the beggars)

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. I Chron. 4:10

As missionaries we continually bring our request up to God’s throne and the more we get involved, the more opportunities we see! We desire God to enlarge our coast in the ministry here at Good Samaritan.

In March of this year God laid it upon my heart to call the owner of the land next to orphanage in Mapanga. We wanted to know if the land he owned was for sale, or rent. It is about the same quantity as the orphanage property, about 11 acres, but it has a house on it, though it is in need of repair and refurbishing, and several out buildings. The response from the owner was that he would be willing to sell, or rent if that was our direction. It was during our 2^nd meeting that God directed me to ask him about his eternal salvation. As most Malawians would he stated he would go to heaven. When I asked him why, he stated because he went to church. At that point I took the scriptures and showed him God’s plan of salvation. Both he and his companion believe and received Christ as their personal Savior! We see this added land as an opportunity to:

1. Build our own secondary school. This would allow us to have our own curriculum, have control on Bible teaching and also not to have to spend the money to transport 26 students into the city of Blantyre every day.

2. Build a Bible College that would be self-sufficient and separate from the orphanage compound.

3. Give us greater growing capacity; it already has many banana, papaya, avocado and mango trees on it.

4. Build a new Mapanga Good Samaritan Church that would help control people coming into the orphanage compound.

We are still negotiating for this land and Lord willing we will know the cost within a short period of time.

Also in March of this year we received a letter from the Minister of Lands that they are going to give back 100 hectares of land, up at Ntcheu, to Good Samaritan that they seized almost 1.5 years ago. There has to be a formal meeting at the project site with local authorities and the people of the area. This is an answer to pray! It is exciting to see God work, and to patiently wait on Him to open the door so that we can begin again the construction of the new orphanage up at Ntcheu.

On March 18^th & 19^th we had a two day school for pastors and their wives. The subject was “God’s Design for a Biblical Marriage”. John taught the men during the two days. Darcy and Sharon Goodman taught the women. We have translated and printed lessons into a book form that shows from the Word of God His standards for marriage and our responsibilities to our spouses and children. We had over 120 pastors and their wives attend. Good Samaritan provided transportation, housing and food for three days. The lessons were well received and Lord willing they will change many lives. On Friday the 19^th Brother Gil Anger came later in the afternoon and talked first just to the men, and then to all for about two hours. It was great to see Brother Anger again after over two years.

On the 25^th of March the Greenfield family, Neal, Leslie and Lacy, came to help out in the ministry for approximately three weeks. During that time frame they went out soul winning to many different areas, and taught Bible studies in different villages every week. They also went to a different village every Sunday to teach and preach the Word of God. Many people received Christ as their Savior during this time. They also accompanied us up to the new orphanage project site at Ntcheu to attend to the sick during one of our “medicine ministry” trips. We saw and treated over 450 people on this day. They were a great encouragement during their stay!

We continue to translate and print books and Bible helps to get them out into the hands of the people. We have to pay much Kwacha for this ministry and Good Samaritan is praying about buying a used printing press. This would cut cost down, and give us a greater freedom in printing. It would also allow us to train and involve more of our young men in the ministry. We have contacted Jeremy Johnson, a missionary to South Africa, and ask his assistance in locating a used press for sale. Lord willing He will “enlarge” our coast in this area.

On the last Friday night of March we had our monthly “Preacher Boy” night and it was just great! We had 15 young men preach for up to 10 minutes each. There was much enthusiasim from all those that were in attendance, both boys and girls.

At the beginning of April we started up the Good Samaritan Junior Bible College for boys and girls at the orphanage. It will run through August of this year and the classes are:

1. Minor Prophets

2. Homeletics-Boys only.

3. “Seeking God”-Girls only.

4. Old and New Testament Survey

5. The Life of Christ

This year we are scheduling time teaching/meetings in the south of Malawi and northern Mozambique that will last from 3 to 5 days each. We have many Good Samaritan churches in these areas, East Bank, Chikwawa, Nsanje, Lower Shire, Mozambique #1, and Mozambique #2. They have been asking for teaching assistance and we are going go down and assist them to the best of our ability. We will take as much printed materials as our vehicle can hold and Lord willing we can impart a spiritual blessing on them.

We want to thank all of the faithful saints who give month after month to the Good Samaritan Ministry! At times it may seem that what you give is not making a difference, but I can assure you that souls are being added to the Kingdom of God and it is because of your selfless giving! Also you are making a difference in the lives of orphaned boys and girls that will one day preach and teach the Word of God to others.

PRAYER NEEDS:

1. That the land next to the existing orphanage property can be purchased, and God will provide the necessary funds.

2. God will raise up other families to come serve in this ministry:

Teachers

Medically trained personnel

Missionaries

3. The health of Dr. Gentry

4. God will provide a printing press and the personnel to help set it up and instruct the young men to run it.

5. Protection as we travel to outlaying areas and into other countries.

6. God would open the Ntcheu project this year and provide the funds for the new orphanage.

GOD WILL NOT GIVE TO YOU WHAT HE CAN’T GIVE THROUGH YOU!

By His Grace & Mercy,

John, Darcy, Sarah

& Johnathan