Iranians in Europe, May 2007
We're delighted to report that brother Hazhir, the husband of our sister Chenoor, for whom you kindly made a petition, has been granted acceptance in Holland. This has many positive implications for getting sister Chenoor out of Turkey. Negotiations and efforts on many fronts are ongoing and we're grateful to brother Ian McPhee of Canada for his tireless work on this, along with many others. Sister Liz is about to make another visit to Turkey in this connection and to encourage our sister , who has been depressed recently. Please do give thanks for progress so far and continue praying as there are so many human obstacles. our brother writes: "I believes in bad situation God help us always, during last months I had bad situation... but today my lawyer called me and said, Hazhir you got refuges status ! this is good news for me and chenoor. This is very important that I accepted here ...Thanks God for this good happen and thanks for you all kindly attention during my staying in Holland. Many Love and Pray, God bless you, Hazhir "
In all our Carelinks work, we marvel at how God keeps making connections between people and events, one triumph of the Gospel and His grace seems to lead to others, like ripples spreading. The heroic conversion of our Iranian brethren in Iran led them, and leads them, to risk their lives and to endure years of uncertainty as refugees before they get to safety. This has involved them often being holed up in apartments or 'safe houses' which we've arranged in various countries bordering Turkey. At times they've had little to do. One of the things they've been busied with, thanks to second hand laptop computers kindly provided, is translating material from English to Farsi.
Bible Basics and other literature has been translated and printed. Here'sa file photo of two Iranian brethren, now safely in North America,
working on translating material in an apartment in Azerbaijan a few years ago:
That material is all online at www.carelinks.net/Farsi.html and very many Iranians world-wide read it and get into correspondence with us. Two years ago, an Iranian in France, ALI, requested hard copies of the material, read it, and decided this was the Truth- he has lived in France about 25 years and has many contacts in the Iranian community throughout Western Europe. He then had a car crash and was in a coma, now he's slowly mending, although finds it hard to get about much- the damage to his body is horrific and only by God's grace is he still alive and with no brain damage. Because of this he re-dedicated his life to God, got back in touch with us, and has thrown himself into spreading the true Gospel. We were able to hold a gathering at his home in Amiens for other Iranians / Bible Basics students in France, some of whom came long distances at their own expense, and we're delighted to announce the baptism and receiving into fellowship of ALI, HOUMAN and KHOSRO. And all this arose from our persecuted brethren translating material into Farsi whilst on the run, placing it on the internet, and following up the response.
Photo:
Brothers Houman and Khosro with their baptism certificates- and also the Speaking About Jesus course to help improve their English, so they can have more access to the wealth of literature about the truth which there is in English
By the way, copies of Speaking About Jesus are available from bro Marcus Heaster at bible.basics@onetel.net . It's a course designed to help intermediate students improve their English through studying each chapter of the Gospel of Mark, considering the points of grammar and vocabulary arising from each chapter; and bringing out the elements of the true Gospel during the process.
You can also see the doctrines which our brethren expressed their faith in, which appear on the back of the baptism certificates, at www.carelinks.net/images/certfr.htm .
Our new brethren are serious Bible students. It was a joy to discuss with them so many questions from Scripture and to see their well marked Bibles:
Photo:
Bro. Khosro with Bro. Ali's well marked Bible
Surely we can pray for our brother! We are making especial request to the French Government to show compassion on our brother as he is indeed a genuine refugee with a very genuine conscience.
Meanwhile, we pray for our Iranian brother A, who is having a hard time as a refugee in Turkey.He explains how the stress of the situation has led to him acquiring a stammer: "Here I got psychological problems from my flee from Iran and also stammering...I haven't been in a good state of mind, as you know about three weeks ago three Turkish people who had been converted and one missioner who had activity wýth them, their heads were cut off and that evidence was on the tv. air for few days so it caused my state of mind worse ... so i apologize you for the period of the time that I couldn't write you anything, but from now I try to get more in connection wýth you. Your brother In Jesus the Lord, God bless you, A"
Please, do pray and try to support these brave brethren all you can. It goes without saying that large resources are needed to care for them.
With love from your brothers and sisters of CCM
ps can we remind you of Operation Carelink- a scheme to encourage brethren & sisters to spend time in the mission field- details at www.carelinks.net/opcarelink.htm
Also, there are upcoming Carelinks events in Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand- see www.carelinks.net/events.htm