Arabs for Christ

We have gone through many changes since February. Our team was expelled from Lebanon. We have been forced to move into different areas.

For the time being, we will not be accepting new folks overseas. However, in the US some of our team mates are starting out an outreach to Arabs in New Jersey. Soon, we will be accepting applications of folks and small teams that would like to go hit the streets there and do evangelism there.

Overseas, we will remain active but until we are able to establish a safe, stable base it will not be possible to accept new interns.

In the meantime, I have been working on translating the Gospel of John into Turkmen. Please be praying for that effort, that it would be clear and accurate.

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Proverbs 16:3  Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.  This is a great
promise.   How amazing it is to know and trust Jesus.  After searching out places in the world to minister and work among Arab Muslims, God has opened wide the door to Paterson, NJ.  Paterson is known as the “Silk City” for its dominant role in silk production during the latter half of the 19th century. The city is a major destination for immigrants from
the Arab and Muslim world. It has the second-largest Muslim population in the United States. Many of
the retail shops and restaurants cater to this community. The neighborhood is characterized by halal meat
markets which offer goat and lamb; and shop signs are in Arabic. South Paterson’s Arab community is
mostly made up of Jordanians, Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian people.

While we were praying and considering the parts of the globe where Muslims live, we were introduced to
a networking organization called Global Gates.  You can find them at www.globalgates.info.  They
research and find unreached people groups in major U.S. cities. Then they pray and send workers there to
love, serve and teach the plan of salvation in these “Gateway Cities”.  Much like Beirut, where people
from all over the Eastern part of the world, come and go, not only do Arabs live and work in Paterson, but
they come and go from there, back to the Middle East.

Our prayer is to introduce as many people, in whatever amount of life we have left to Jesus and His
wonderful gift of salvation.  And we know from experience, the Arab Muslim people are insulated from
this information due to culture, location and prejudice.  Our goal is to change this. We hope to find God’s
remnant in the New York, New Jersey area.  Then begin discipling and growing them to tell their friends
and family.  Please pray for us as we begin again looking for a place to live, schools for the girls and a
church family.  Please call us or e-mail us with any questions.

Friends and family who support us financially and through prayer will have a part in

-every Bible handed out

-every seed planted

-every life touched for Christ

Funds for support have to be mailed to our Missions Board in Rock Springs, WY.  Here are the details.  To send a tax
deductible donation, make checks out to Intermountain West District.  Then mail to:

Intermountain West District
P.O. Box 807
Rock Springs, WY  82902
Be sure to include a note stating that the check is support for Tim and Naomi Gentry, please do not place this note in the
“memo” field of your check.  A receipt will be mailed to at the end of the month it is received.  For our supporters with
receipt or financial questions here are two contacts at Intermountain West – Pastor Larry Johnson #1-307-389-0367 and

Pastor Richard Carlson #1-307-362-8910.

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Since February, when Johnny and I were denied reentry into Lebanon, I have
divided my time between the United States, Germany, and Turkey. While in America,
most of my time was spent regrouping, spending time with friends and family, as
well as praying about and planning the direction I would take in ministry over the
next few months.  I tried repeatedly to get in contact with people in several different
countries, but most of those contacts fell through.

Over about the last two months, I have been staying in the city of Eskisehir in
Turkey, where there is both a large Turkish and Arab population, and have been
able to be involved with both. The city of Eskisehir strikes me as being very special
among all the different cities in Turkey. Because there are two universities here,
there is a spirit of openness and willingness to learn that is not evident in other
parts of Turkey. I have been blessed to be able to talk to people that really seem to
be searching for truth, and would like for you to join me in praying for them.

Before coming to Turkey, I was able to spend a short time in Germany (in the
cities of Munich and Bayreuth) visiting some believers I knew from Lebanon,
making new contacts, and exploring the possibility of ministering there among
refugee populations. During my time in Germany, I was able to spend some time
with people from Turkey, Iraq, and Syria, and had fruitful conversations with them.
In several weeks, when I pass through Germany again on my way to the states, I
intend to follow up with some of these people, and get a better idea of what
ministering there could look like.

In mid-October, I will return to the states, and plan to join the Gentries in ministry
for at least a short time in New Jersey. Lord willing, I will return to Turkey early next
year to resume ministry in Eskisehir, and spend more time ministering with
refugees in Germany when my visa here wears out. Please join in praying that the
Lord would make where He wants me to be clear to me, that I would walk closely
with Him, and that I would minister zealously in the Spirit for Him.

-In Christ, Michael Kegyes

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I spend a lot of time in refugee camps. While in camps I tend to do limited medical help, first aide mostly and then I share Bible stories with whoever listens.

In one of the camps that we go to, there are three boys that typically listen to the Bible Stories. When one of the guys suggested we visit another camp that was near by, I wanted to bring these three boys with me.

Read more…

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The Turkmen are a large people group that exist throughout the Middle East. They have many different tribes, and differ greatly from the Turks in both language and in culture.

The Turkish language uses Latin letters like English. The Turkmen of the Middle East generally do not know this alphabet and so that puts the Bible out of reach of most Turkmen. Read more…

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How were you called to ministry? What if you were out ploughing in a field when a strange man came to you and put his jacket on you? Well, that is what happened to Elisha. This story is about leaving everything to follow after God’s call. Is God first in your life? Read more…

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During our team meetings here, we usually have a time of sharing highlights from the week, prayer, schedules, then I like to do something for training. We have been using storying methods a lot in the refugee camps among the Syrian Refugees.

For the training, I usually have one team member share two Bible Stories, as they would to a Muslim audience. Afterwords we discuss what lessons would be best to point out to the Muslim from the story.

Last week, I stumbled upon this gem, and shared it in the meeting and will continue to do so until we get through the video series. The videos are meant for children but are quite good for adults, and could teach anyone who is doing storying a trick or two. Pay attention to some of the questions that he is asking, and how he keeps everyone involved in the discussion. Big Malc Bible Stories.com

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When I open up facebook, my updates are full of people posting, Pro Israel or Pro Palestinian or Pro Kurdish or Pro Turkmen or Pro whatever. Their pro pages always call for bloodshed on the behalf of the people they are wishing to support.

However as Christians what should our response be to all the bloodshed. Read more…

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Here is the newest Bible Story Set. This story, I would probably use among believers. However, it might be good to show to Muslims to express to them the difference between Christianity and Islam namely that we are commanded to love our enemies, or that God is stronger than our two hands. Prayer is a foreign thought to many Muslims, this story also illustrates that quite clearly. This story is taken from 2 Kings 6

Read more…

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Here in Lebanon, the team we have made up is a mixture of Arabs, Kurds, and Americans. A lot of the time it can be difficult when it comes to finding training material that can be given to everyone at once. During team meetings, I can generally translate everything in the meeting so that everyone can communicate, however finding entire books that are helpful in ministry are usually only available in English. Read more…

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