Thank You for serving with a Heart Like Jesus

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience
of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.
I Thessalonians 1:2-3

November/December 2008

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from the Gentry's and the Malawians!

Dear Supporting Friends,

We want to feature all of you in this Thanksgiving and Christmas newsletter to express our sincere thanks for your prayers and financial support these past 8 years. You have helped us scatter the precious gospel seed all over the country of Malawi, Africa. We may never have the opportunity to see some of you face to face but God is good to connect us by letter with faith and love as we together respond to the "cry" of the poor and needy. "He hath dispersed abroad he hath given to the poor". II Corinthians 9:9
Many of you traveled from various states across America to come over and help with numerous projects plus teaching, preaching and encouraging the saints and winning the lost. Your hands on touch will long be remembered and rewarded by God. He will not forget your works.
Help has arrived from Alaska! The John Fullford family, his wife Darcy and their 3 teenage children settled in Malawi the month of June. Bro. John is a retired business man, who served his church in various capacities in Fairbanks. The entire family teaches and are all great soul winners. What an asset to the Malawians.
Help will arrive from Fort Dodge, Iowa! Sharon Goodman, a single mother of grown children (one a missionary in Mexico), will begin full time the end of November. Sharon served in the military for years, worked in children's homes, taught school and is a soul winner! She served a number of years at Harvest Baptist Church in Fort Dodge.
More help has come! Chuck and Sheila Miller of Milton, Florida have spent months in Malawi. Chuck is a retired Navy man, who serves his church and country well in the printing ministry, soul winning and various other works. Sheila is secretary to the Pastor and does various helps in the church. She worked 20 years for a major corporation in finances. They will work stateside as well as in Malawi as the Lord provides and especially with finances.
Thank you for making the ministry of Good Samaritan Outreach as known in Malawi, more than just a "dream". You have helped snatch thousands from the fires of hell; you have helped thousands with food, water and clothing, and you have helped hold my hands when sick and weary and old - what more can we say! THANK YOU!!!!
"When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them (Malawians). The Lord hath done great things for us; (suppoprters) wherefore we are glad." Psalms 126:1-3
Thank you for your continued support during this difficult time in our U.S. economy. Some of you are experiencing trying times personally in your families. May God help us all in spite of these calamities. Together we must press on in 2009 for the cause of Christ here in America and to the uttermost parts of the world.

Sincerely the beggars for His sake,
Bro. Gardiner & Alice Gentry

P.S. Please remember the poor children and adults during this Thanksgiving & Christmas time - if you have a little extra please send your gift to make their hearts merry.
On November 13th we had an exciting time as the advisory staff of 12 people met to discuss more effective ways to maintain and advance the ministry in Malawi. We saw grown men cry as they related their experiences while working with the poor in Malawi. Thank you to Denise Kennedy our daughter who has been a faithful free gratis worker for VWO these 8 years with paper work, mailouts and financial matters.

Mark Logan Report

Dear Friend:

I have just returned home from the last of many trips. Since
July/August when I was in Africa, I have been preaching Missions and
Prophecy Conferences and showing pictures of the various fields where
God has used me. I have had only days between trips but now I am home
for awhile before several trips around the world planned for next
year. I hope you will read this attached prayer letter. Thank you
for your prayers for me and I trust God will give you a blessed
Thanksgiving and Christmas time.

Your friend in Christ,

Mark Logan

Mark Logan “The entrance of Thy

BIMI Word giveth Light.”

Representative at Large - Psalm 119:130

November 25, 2008

Dear Concerned Friends:

As I come to the last month of another year, I am reminded of how blessed I am. This time last year I was preaching along the banks of the Congo River every evening to about 600 people and teaching a few dozen pastors in the afternoons. Now, some of the soldiers who were saved at the meetings are no doubt part of the force in combat in the Eastern provinces near Goma. I have been in Pakistan where a suicide bomber blew himself up not 2 miles from where I was teaching. I was not able to make trips to Georgia and Myanmar which have been volatile recently but please pray that I will be able to go to both this year, 2009. I have been invited and am trusting God to open the way.

Last year I was also able to spend 5 weeks in Malawi, teaching all over the country in 3 and 4 day long sessions with African pastors and a few deacons’ families attending by the hundreds in each place. What a joy it was to see the orphans have a pizza party possibly for the first time thanks to a group of men from Charlotte who helped put up some needed roofs. Another group came from Canada and Asheville to labor long hours on needed buildings for the current 103 orphans and the new site being developed. Two churches in the Caribbean (Calvary, St. Thomas & Central, Anguilla) and a church in Canada sent funds for a big Christmas dinner for the orphans and staff. Other churches have sent money for food for them this winter (Royal City, Guelph, Eglise Baptiste, Boucherville and Trinity, Asheville) and many of you individually have sent money to me for food for pastors conferences, bicycles for evangelists, roofs for churches. I appreciate also the gifts that you have sent for me to use when I go to Pakistan, UAE, Africa particularly.

I would like to report that Hebron, the church planter in Dubai is doing great. He now has his permanent visa, has a job as a teacher and in fact has already been reprimanded for “proselytizing” simply by mentioning his faith in Christ to fellow teachers. He has several Bible studies in his apartment, has won some people to Christ, and goes on regular trips to the labor camps which are teeming with very poor workers from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh who are bussed in every day to work on the prosperous city of Dubai for very low wages, most of which are sent back to their homes to the slums where their families live. These are desperate men and Hebron takes jars of pickles and has bible studies with some. I plan to go along with him when I spend some days there before flying to Indonesia in January. Please pray for Hebron as he longs to start a Baptist church.

Please pray for me in mid-January as I go with BIMI missionaries Alan Brooks and Robert Meyer to the island of Nias, in Indonesia. It was hit hard by the 2004 tsunami and had a huge earthquake following. Because of supplies given through BIMI missionaries, a man was converted to Christ who is an education official. He has invited a team to pass out Bibles and preach in all the schools on the island, many of whom are located in the jungle and we will have to hike to get there. A team already went in September and passed out THOUSANDS OF BIBLES AND PREACHED THE GOSPEL TO THESE MUSLIM PEOPLE IN THE LARGEST MUSLIM NATION IN THE WORLD.

Donna is doing well. She and Bethany were enriched by their trip to Malawi. Donna has started a Ladies’ ministry there. The ladies she works with have saved money to build a church in a heavily Muslim area there. Heather and Brad , Andrew, Erin are grown up but it is a joy to see them and we will visit with them in the next few weeks. Keep praying for us.

Sincerely in Christ,

Mark Logan

Weekly Bus and Church Report Year 2008

Good Samaritan Baptist Church
Weekly Bus and Church Report Year 2008

Bus Captain Report Date 19th October 2008
Name
Blessings Start time 8:00 Arrival time 8:22 Passengers 66
Mkwanda Start time 8:27 Arrival time 8:58 Passengers 50
Blessings Start time 9:04 Arrival time 9:26 Passengers 64
Mkwanda Start time 9:32 Arrival time 10:04 Passengers 68
Hours visited 3 hours
Total Passengers 248

Total for Both Churches Children and Adults

Adults
number in Sunday School 144
Number in church 295
Number of People Saved 12
Number of Visitors 17
Offering and Tithes 15,600 Kwatcha

Children
Number in Sunday School 172
Number in Church 187
Number of People Saved 6
Number of Visitors 10
Offering and Tithes 550 Kwatcha


Totals
Number in Sunday School 316
Number in Church 482
Number of People Saved 18
Number of Visitors 27
Offering and Tithes K16,150

Comments: The service was good, people enjoyed with the service and because of the Soul winning Program we are continue to receive the new members. On top of that Brother Fullford and his family are also still working hard with us by the way of door to door every Saturday. I am very concern when I was heard that your are not feeling well. Here in Malawi we will continue to pray for you and your family so that the Lord’s hand must healing you and Madam. Your son in Christ Pastor Joakim K. Betha 1Chronciles 4:9-10 God Bless You

What it means to start a church in Malawi, Africa

Over the last few weeks since my return from Malawi; many have asked what it takes to start a church like I did. Well there are several steps that must be taken and I will be glad to outline them with little comment. Make sure that terminology is the same, words have meaning especially in Malawi and working with the nationals who do this type of work will cut down confusion. Decide what it is you want to do, plant a church or build a church. Planting or building are two different things and need clarity of understanding in the beginning. In all cases planting a church will come first and can lead to building as follows. Whatever the decision you will need to:
1. Select an area or village that has had or will have one on one soul winning. Depending on the response will determine the next steps. If the response is good and the village Chief or Elder wishes a church in the village check with interpreter and sponsoring agency (Victory World Outreach Ministries) for directions in the next phase.
2. If all responses are in the affirmative pick an evening that you will show the “Jesus Film” and make plans to spend a few days informing the village and surrounding area of the upcoming event. Depending on the circumstances this can be done with the help of the Chief or his/her designated representative and is also a good time for more soul winning.
3. It is very possible that attendance will reach in the many hundreds of villagers and hundreds will accept the Lord as their personal saviour, this is where you will be planting a church. If this is all you can do you have done a good work but it is only the beginning. Someone must follow up and come back repeated times to help the new Christians to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. This is where many of the hundreds of churches are right now in Malawi. They met in a makeshift hut or in a home or in the great outdoors and learn more of Jesus and discipleship.
4. If the Chief wants a building in his village then a whole lot of things must take place in order for it to be accomplished such as where do we get the land to build on? Is it to be a gift or must it be paid for? If a gift, all is well and the trip to the district Chief will go easy, if it must be paid for then deciding on a fair price with the knowledge that Americans cannot own land in Malawi needs to be recognized and dealt with.
5. Most churches start with a very basic design of a pole hut with a grass roof (see pictures) and this will do till funds can be raised for a permanent brick structure of a size to accommodate the needs of the village
6. The cost of a building will vary according to the size and what will be needed. A good rule of thumb is that a basic building with brick walls and cement floors with steel roof cost around $2000/2500, a larger building with raised platform for pulpit area with finished walls and cement pews and a baptistery will bring the cost over $3000.00 (see pictures) and if you want water and electricity then the price is what it is. Most of the work can be done in a very short time using local workers and members of the church but this should be worked out well in advance of starting construction and will in all likelihood be done in the absence of who ever started the project.

It is sometimes asked why the sponsoring church or individual would or should pay for the construction of a church building, isn’t it enough to start a church and then turn it over to the congregation to pay for the building. That is a fair question but can be answered and will be answered your first time in country. The people who live in the villages live day to day by subsistence farming and have NO money period. If you were to have a church of 300 members there would be no way for them to come up with $2000-3000 ever. The best you can hope for is that after teaching they understand tithing and that enough could be raised to feed and care for a Pastor. That is why after years of planting and building churches many still have only a pole hut building to meet in. Some others have brick walls and straw roofs but lack the funds to put on a steel roof or cement floor, when you have no money and no way of getting any then someone outside the village has to help if a church is to be planted and/or built.

For further information on this topic and what you can do to help please contact Dr. Gardiner Gentry Or W. Charles Miller by sending a comment to the email: victoryworldoutreach@yahoo.com

Saturday September 27th

PRAISE GOD! Prayers have been answered. Ms. Alice Gentry is feeling better and Thank you all for your prayers. To God Be the Glory. The kidney stone has passed. Dr. and Ms. Alice Gentry thank you for the prayers and know it is because of the prayers that she is better. Thank You all!

September 26th

Special Prayers are needed!
Ms. Alice Gentry has not been feeling well. She felt it could be a kidney stone.



Thandie and her family will be having a funeral tomorrow for her 96 year old beautiful Grandmother. Grandmother was not feeling well earlier in the week and the family took her to the Queens Hospital. It appeared to be her heart. The family took Grandmother home and she was eating and comfortable. On Friday Thandie felt the need to go see Grandmother. She was able to visit with her and asked her if she could pray with her. We are not sure if she has accepted the Lord, but we know Peace has been witnessing to her. Grandmother smiled her beautiful smile and as Thandie prayed the Lord took her in his arms.