News from Europe / Eurasia
An Iranian refugee brother here writes:
My mother came here to see me. I'm happy that despite all of my weakness she says she notices some positive differences in my behaviour after I became Christian. You should know that I always pray for you so hard. I really love you and hope that one day I will be able to prove it to you as much as I can, not only to say but in acts! Yesterday I was thinking about the resurrection and I thought it would be so horrible if I am not resurrected and given eternal life, and had to go back to the grave for ever. So I asked God to help me and make me stronger in my belief and faith. Hope that things go better for all of us. I always give thanks to God because of having you and because of the possibility of being in the Kingdom. Also about having my mum here too! You know as long as she is here I don’t feel alone any more. Thank you that you count me as a friend and brother too.
BARANOVICHI
I just opened
my Bible and started reading from Matthew 27, I found it was about the
crucifixion. For once I saw Christ very real before my eyes. All our problems
are in a small way like what He went through and we also will come through them.
Bro. Leonid
I am so sorry
for not writing. I have had a heart problem, the only possible advantage is that
I might get a small invalidity pension. I have contact with Bro Leonid here when
I can, and there are some people here with whom I am seriously talking about
Bible doctrines.
Sis. Larisa
IVATSEVICHI
The majority
of people in this country are under a great and huge cloud of darkness. I am
trying to share with them the truth through directing them to Bible Basics,
but everyone is so concerned with their total lack of money, and so tempted by
all that is brought here for sale from the West. This life is not ours at the
moment, but all of you with me shall inherit the Kingdom of God if we see beyond
all this.
Bro. Aleksandr
VYAZMICHI
I am making
progress in teaching the Gospel to my husband and to another man in the village.
I think that I was called to know the truths I know, so that I can tell them to
other people here.
Sis. Nina
Basically I am doing good, my ulcer doesn’t hurt so much. I am going to see doctor next week. I don’t eat much lately, not because I don’t have money, but because I need to save some, as I need to get into School next year and must pay for it. Our new brother that was baptized is doing fine and is memorizing many Bible verses, he recently memorized 50 of them, and we’re having much fun fellowshipping together!
Last few days I have been trying to teach my friends what the "kingdom of God" is, what the purpose of it is and how we can find the Truth. When I told them about the kingdom of God, they looked at me as if I was weird. Some of them are really hard with this subject, but I am getting to them... Sometimes they say a lot of things to make fun of me, but I don’t care, I'll just keep preaching.
Bro. A
ABKHAZIA
Here in this
very unique and unstable, even hopeless, region, I am trying to be a light in
the world. I received the books and they are my daily food.
Bro. Guram
I am working
very hard here. My mother has died and I was unable to return to Latvia to the
funeral. So it is all rather depressing for me here.
Sis. Nadia
BEER SHEVA
We were so
much lifted up in spirit by the magazine that over 1000 brothers and sisters
have been baptized now in the former USSR. We are very proud of you all. This
great success is the great justification for those who preach. Here Viktor is
almost blind now and we are merely holding on in love and faith.
Sis. Nina and
Bro. Viktor
Please pray
for every one of my family in our difficulties- Vladimir, Natasha, Artem,
Svetlana, Igor, Mikhail and my husband Gennady. I am receiving many letters in
English but I completely do not understand them. It is important for us all that
we act and live from our hearts in faith and hope and love.
Sis. Anna
We are pleased
to report the baptism of TESFAY, a refugee from Eritrea currently living on a
railway embankment in Rome; may the Lord bless and guide him to the Kingdom.
ROME
Praise be to
God! I received legal permission to live in Italy and also legal permission to
work for one year. Thanks a lot for all who have helped me.
Bro. Naizghi
[ex-Eritrea, Sudan and Libya]
We are
delighted to announce the baptism of REGINA and NATASHA; may the Lord guide our
new sisters towards His Kingdom.
ASTANA
My son,
Brother Kolya, is going to enter the university in Astana so I am travelling
there at times. God bless.
Sis Tanya
KOKSHETAU
We remember
always the warm love and care we have been shown in bringing us out of darkness
to light. There is very much gossip now coming to us but we always hold to what
is true, what we know ourselves is true, and try not to let any gossips break
apart our fellowship.
Sis. Svetlana
We are delighted to announce the baptisms of ALEKSANDR, BAKHRAM, ANVAR, DMITRY (Bishkek), JACOB (Batken) and ALEKSANDR (Talas). We thank God for the growth of the Gospel in this beautiful land, and trust there will be a people here prepared for the Lord’s return.
We are pleased to report the baptisms of Sisters VEE, LIDA, ALLA, TANYA, TAMARA, SOOLA and Brothers GUNARS and SASHA; may the Lord bless and guide them to the Kingdom.
BENE
I appreciate being invited to the Bible School in Jurmala, but I really cannot come as we just have to gather our harvest at this time so we can survive through the Winter. However through this short note I am sending greetings to all. May our Father Himself and His Son keep you all.
Bro. Nikolaj
JEKABPILS
Things are so hard for us as my brother Sasha has such problem with his leg, he may lose it. So he can’t work. We feel we have gone from one problem to another recently. We are holding to our faith but we feel we are being very much tested.
Bro. Sergej
KRASLAVA
I am so glad that I have been baptized although I am lonely here. However I am supported by the cassette tapes which I play all the time. My age and health don’t allow me to travel at all. My bones are weak, or they feel so weak. I am hoping for the Kingdom to come soon.
Sis. Valerijana
KUBULI
Life is hard here as we have had to leave the flat we had because of high bills. I find a little work, but I am too weak to work much and also there is little work in this village. One feels at times as if nobody understands how we feel, this is why I am glad Jesus was a poor man who can understand.
Bro. Petris
LIBAGI
I try by all means to spread the truth here, but maybe I am a poor preacher, I am finding people simply aren’t willing to take the Bible even in their hands. I find it is easy to speak to our brothers and sisters about preaching but harder to do it each day.
Bro. Vladimir
VILANI
I am sorry to tell you that my former wife died recently, this was unexpectedly more painful for me than I would have thought, especially as it seems not so long ago that I buried my son. I continue to hope myself for the Kingdom of God when at last this sad life will end.
Bro. Fyodyor
SIRVINTOS
I am happy to
be in contact again, and I hope to come to the Bible School in Riga.
Bro. Vlad
VILNIUS
As I said
before, I am still very much thinking of our brothers in Bosnia and I look
forward to seeing them again soon.
Bro. Valdas
We are delighted to announce the baptism of ZHENYA in Chisinau; may the Lord bless him in his walk to the Kingdom.
CHISINAU
I have just finished re-reading Bible Basics. I can’t express enough my gratitude for this great Truth which God has shown me through you. I love you all.
Sis. Natasha
It is becoming real to me that because I have been baptized, I truly have people whom I can call my brothers and sisters. I really do have a new family. I tried reading by the Bible Companion. To be true, I found this hard, so I am reading daily in other ways.
Sis. Irina
Now after my baptism I realize how true it is that only those who believe and are baptized will be saved as it says in Mark 16:16. I see now that outside of Christ there is nothing at all. I am eager to read all I can, to grow in my faith, to see greater things. I so look forward to seeing you again here!
Sis. Valya
Not so long
time ago we all were in Latvia. It was a very nice trip; Linda was glad to see
her grandmother. Thanks for Gospel News. I pray for you and read the
Bible regularly.
Sis. Helena
We are delighted to report the baptism of SERGEJ in a distant part of Siberia. May the Lord bless His witness in that place!
ABINSK
We are really in a very hard situation, as I have no work, and must vacate the house we are living in as the landlady has returned. We simply don’t know what to do, and we could soon end on the street.
Bro Sasha
ARMAVIR
I am very, very happy to finally have been baptized! I am involved in setting up a voluntary organization in order to help handicapped people here, and I can do with whatever support anyone can give. I so want to share the Gospel.
Sis. Galina
EFREMOV
I have been placing advertisements for Bible Basics on lamp posts and bus stops here, with tear-off slips for people to post away. I notice many of them are torn off each day, and some people told me they had posted them to Moscow. I was then very sad to find the address on the slips was wrong and the people hadn’t got the book. This depressed me for a while but I am determined to try again.
Bro Oleg
IRBIT
We truly have such great problems again, unless we pay our utilities bill on this apartment, we will be thrown out onto the street. So we are in great stress. Our only joy was to hear that our daughter Natasha has finally been baptized. We are so joyful because of this, but our daily problems remain.
Sis. Nadia
We are so happy to have been baptized! Also happy that our daughter Kristina was baptized, although at present she is in a sanatorium. We really believe we will receive the eternal life when Jesus returns. We are very much believing this, it changes our lives.
Bro. Vladmir & Sis. Svetlana
JOSHKAR OLA
Every day I remember the brothers and sisters whom I know and love. I am so glad to hear that you are still baptizing people all over the world.
Sis. Elena
KAZAN
I so much like reading this magazine. The best thing for me are the letters from brothers and sisters. Even when I can’t meet with others, as my circumstances are hard at this time, I can feel one with you, and see how we all suffer and how everything is moving us all towards the climax of the return of Jesus and the coming of the Kingdom.
Bro. Ramil
It lifts me up very much to get a call and to know that there are true Christadelphians still who do the work of God and are spreading the Truth. As I write this I am looking forward to our meeting here tomorrow for breaking the bread. I am finding it hard to convert people here, it is not as it was in Kazakhstan, and this depresses me.
Sis. Ludmila
It was so good to see Brother Duncan again here and to have baptisms of more people. My prayer is that they will read each day and will grow closer to God and enter the Kingdom of God with us. We are all with you.
Bro. Andrej
KHVOJNAYA
I have moved here from my previous place, I spent all my money on the fare here, as I have a place to live here which will be warm in the winter unlike where I was. Please pray for me.
Sis. Katya
KIROV Obl.
We are facing many problems here, in winter it is so cold, in summer, so hot. We have no refrigerator and it is so difficult. I am feeling very close to God. I will not go to the Bible School in Moscow, but I am with you and reading very much.
Sis. Tanya
KRASNOGORSK
I want to thank you for your help with helping me to get alternative service. You are a great example to me. Now I will soon begin that alternative service. I do not know where I will be sent apart from that it will be very far from my home, nor is it clear what they will make me do. Please pray for me. I am very determined to be faithful and to take my Bible with me and to be one of those who inherits the promises as said in Heb. 13:7.
Bro. Leonid
RZHEV
I am eager to distribute leafets here as I can. I truly count those few brothers with whom I correspond in the truth, to be my closest friends.
Bro. Sasha
ST. PETERBURG
It is a great example to me that you continue preaching with all obstacles and I believe God will bless this. I greatly respect the brothers and sisters in Ukraine for the literature they send me.
Bro. Valerij
SHAKHTY
I have finally returned home from a long trip away working. I was happy to find several requests for Bible Basics awaiting me, from leaflets and advertising here.
Bro. Andrej
SHCHYOKINO
My sister came to stay with me recently, and during that time she read through all my Christadelphian books. She was formally involved with the Baptists but I am very confident that she will come over to us. I am totally with you.
Bro. Boris
TALITSA
I am very unwell now. I have problems with my heart and my blood, and I have been unable to work for 2 months and I think I will be unable to work for at least another 3 months. This means my wife and I have very little income. We just don’t have enough money for any treatment nor for living. Please pray for us and help us.
Bro. Sasha
Comment: Our prayers and care are certainly with our dear brother, who has been a faithful preacher of the Truth and elder of the ecclesia in Talitsa for a long time.
TYMSK
I am so happy to tell you that my friend Sergej was baptized! He is from Altayskij Kraj, so far from any of us. I am grateful that you sent him and others literature, and it is always a joy for me to hear from my friends and relatives that they have correspondence with you. I know you do thorough work with them and I hope that more of them will come to be baptized too.
Bro. Ivan
VINOGRADOVKA
I am trying to work in my garden while it is summer so that I will be able to eat better in the winter. Sister Ludmila from Kazan supports me so much by writing to me. I would love to come to a Bible School but it is many days on the train to travel from here, and I cannot manage it any more.
Sis. Galina
YELEC
I have almost finished the translation of the booklet about Alcoholism from Russian to Esperanto. May every blessing be with your work.
Sis. Nina
BELGRADE
I am
concluding that human pride is the biggest source of conflict, be it shown
through anti-semitism, civil war as we had here, or in divisions amongst
believers. We live in a very proud world, and we must be separate from this. I
have many plans to spread the Gospel here but again human pride is what comes in
the way of people responding. I recently met with Bro Zoltan and it was very
nice.
Bro. Vladislav
We are
delighted to report the baptisms of MOHAMMED and CHENOOR [from Iran] and FERHAT
[from Bosnia]; may the Lord bless them in their walk to the Kingdom.
I am
currently trying to secure my documents here. Please pray for me. All takes so
long. I am with you in faith and the Hope.
Bro. F.
I was sorry
not to be able to come to the meeting in Istanbul. But I and my family will try
by all means the next time.
Bro. Marz and
Sis R
Please pray for my sister
she is very sick now. We bought many remedies, ointments but they did not help.
I feel not confident yet to baptize someone but the people are working through
with Bible Basics.
Sis. G
We are
delighted to report the baptisms of GALINA and ZOYA in areas where there has
previously been little response to the Gospel; may the Lord bless them in their
walk to the Kingdom.We are also very pleased to announce the baptism of BOGDAN
who is currently working outside of Ukraine.
POLTAVA
I am
continually writing articles and I enjoy seeing them published in English in
Gospel News. This magazine is so important to us here. I would love to
attend the CBM Bible School in Moscow but this year we are asked to pay
something for it and I cannot afford it.
Bro. Gennady
I would like
to dispel any doubts which any have that any of us here are thinking of leaving
the Christadelphians and starting another church. No, never! I for one love the
Truth and all the doctrines and will never leave. I am getting letters from many
brothers and sisters throughout the former USSR, there is a great unity amongst
us due to common problems and situations we face.
Sis. Luda
The Morning
Star was a great encouragement to me. To know there are many other brothers
and sisters like me in the world. Here life is so hard. I constantly fear that
they will take away my pension from me or reduce it, and already I even at my
age have to do any spare job I can to get money for bread. I ask you to pray for
an old friend of mine, whom I so want to be baptized, and I am teaching him.
Bro Oleg
READ ONLY IF
YOU HAVE TIME FOR GOD
God, when I
received this e-mail, I thought...I don't have time for this. And, this is
really inappropriate during work. Then, I
realized that this kind of thinking is... Exactly, what
has caused lot of the problems in our world today. We try to keep
God in church on Sunday morning... Maybe, Sunday night... And in the
unlikely event of a midweek service. We do like to have Him around
during sickness.. And, of course, at funerals. However, we don't have time, or
room, for Him during work or play...Because... That's the part of our lives we
think...We can, and should, handle on our own.
May God
forgive me for ever thinking...That... there is a time or place where...HE is
not to be FIRST in my life. We should always have time to remember all HE has
done for us.. If, You aren't ashamed to do this...Please follow the
directions.
Jesus said,
"If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father."
Not ashamed?
Pass this on ONLY IF YOU MEAN IT!!
Yes, I do Love God. He is my
source of existence and Savior. He keeps me functioning
each and every day. Without Him, I will be nothing. Without Him, I
am nothing. But, with Christ, HE strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)
This is the
simplest test. If You Love God... And, are not ashamed of
all the marvelous things HE has done for you... Send this to ten people and
the person who sent it to you! I don't think I know 10 people who would admit
they love Jesus. Do You love Him?
THE POEM
I knelt to
pray but not for long,
I had too much
to do.
I had to hurry
and get to work
For bills
would soon be due.
So I knelt and
said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up
off my knees.
My Christian
duty was now done
My soul could
rest at ease.
All day long I
had no time
To spread a
word of cheer.
No time to
speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh
at me I'd fear.
No time, no
time, too much to do,
That was my
constant cry,
No time to
give to souls in need
But at last
the time, the time to die.
I went before
the Lord, I came,
I stood with
downcast eyes.
For in his
hands God held a book;
It was the
book of life.
God looked
into his book and said
"Your name I
cannot find.
I once was
going to write it down...
But never
found the time"
Now do you
have the time to pass it on? Make sure that
you scroll through to the end.
Easy vs. Hard.
Why is it so
hard to tell the truth but Yet so easy to tell a lie? Why are
we so sleepy in church but right when the sermon is over we
suddenly wake up? Why is it so hard to talk about God but yet so
Easy to talk about nasty stuff? Why is it so boring to look at a Christian
magazine But yet so easy to look at a nasty one? Why is it so
easy to delete a Godly e-mail but yet we forward all of the nasty
ones? Why are the
Churches of Christ getting smaller but yet The bars and dance
clubs are getting larger?
When you
receive this, say a prayer for the person that sent it to you...That's all you
have to do...
There is
nothing attached...
This is so
powerful...
Just e-mail
this to ten people and watch God's answer to prayer work in your
life. Do not stop the wheel, please... Of all the free gifts we
may receive, Prayer is the very best one...
There are no
costs, but wonderful rewards...
GOD BLESS!
May God keep
you and bless you. If this doesn't give you chills, nothing
will... this message is very true. Hope you are
all as blessed as I was from this story.
I wonder how
many people will delete this without reading it because of the
title on it?
There once was
a man named George Thomas. One Easter Sunday morning he
came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set
it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response,
Pastor Thomas began to speak... "I was walking through town
yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me
swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three
little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the
lad and asked, "What you got there, son?" "Just some old
birds," came the reply. "What are you
gonna do with them?" I asked.
"Take 'em home
and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna
tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm
gonna have a real good time." "But you'll
get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?" "Oh, I got
some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em
to them." The pastor was
silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds,
son?" "Huh?? !!!
Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old
field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!" "How much?"
the pastor asked again. The boy sized
up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?" The pastor
reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it
in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor
picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley
where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the
cage down, he opened the door, and by softly
tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them
free. Well, that
explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor
began to tell this story.
One day Satan
and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the
Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I
just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap,
used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!" "What are you
going to do with them?" Jesus asked. Satan replied,
"Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and
divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink
and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs
and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!" "And what will
you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill
'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do
you want for them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, you don't
want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just
hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!" "How much?" He
asked again. Satan looked
at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life." Jesus said,
"DONE!" Then He paid
the price.
The pastor
picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the
pulpit.
Notes: Isn't
it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then
wonder why the world's going to hell. Isn't it funny how someone
can say "I believe in God" but still follow their own desires. Isn't it funny
how I can be more worried about what other people think of me
than what God thinks of me.
I pray, for
everyone who sends this to their entire address book, they will be
blessed by God in a way special for them. And send it to the
person who sent it, to let them know that indeed it was
sent out to
many more.
