News from Europe / Eurasia
BARANOVICHI
I remain in contact with the prisoners I am corresponding with. Some of them have really genuine needs and it worries me as to whether we should do more for such people, or whether it is a waste of time to help materially. I pray fervently for them and for you all.
Bro. Leonid
I feel very great gratitude for your support as I know Sis Irina and her children do. At least we feel we are not alone in this world, there is a true spiritual family that really exists for us.
Sis. Larisa
TERESHKI
I am facing so many problems as I become weaker each year. The village is losing its population, lonely old people die and even there is nobody who bothers to bury them. We were cut off for some time because of the snow, and even people were taking wood from deserted houses and burning it because of the cold. I pray for you all, thinking that surely there are others in worse situations even than mine.
Sis. Anna
VITEBSK Obl.
This Winter is hard for us not just because of the cold but because my wheelchair is broken, also I am getting rashes breaking out, each of which takes 2 or 3 weeks to heal. Also it is so hard for us to wash in the Winter. In Summer we collect rain water for this, but it is so hard in Winter. I am reading the Bible using the Companion although some days it isn’t possible because of my health. I stand with you all.
Bro. Valerij
VYAZMICHI
We suffer here so much from the cold weather. I am wearing my overcoat even around the house. It is just so hard to keep warm. I valued very much the clothes sent to me. Know that we are with you.
Sis Nina
We are fine here, thinking of you, and praying that Jesus returns in 2006.
Bros. Edvard & Khosro
BEER SHEVA
We feel so old now, always wanting Jesus to return every day and every day praying for you and just grateful that we have known Him.
Sis. Nina & Bro. Viktor
ALMATY
I am out of hospital but things are so very hard for us this Winter. We are grateful for clothes provided and any others that can be. We pray for you and love you all who believe in the same Lord we do.
Sis. Lena
AIZKRAUKLE
I am hoping that Jesus will return in 2006 and I send my love to all who share this hope.
Sis. Irena
I know you were probably too busy to even think of the New Year when it came, but I think of you, and pray yet more will be added to Jesus this year.
Sis. Marija
BALVI
Bro. Marcus, I can translate from English to Russian; don’t hesitate to send me booklets. I have good news for you: I said before that I was very ill. Now I’m in good health. I would like to thank God and the doctor who cured me. This doctor helps me sometimes with food and fruits. I pray every day and ask God to help me bless me and the doctor who helps me. A Brother ‘John’ from Australia wrote me a letter, but I lost his address when I was in hospital.
Bro Alexander
DAUGAVPILS
As you know I have no relatives, I was an orphan and have no wife, so truly you are my family. I am not sure that you realize how much you mean to me. I love God for all He has done for me. Life here is so hard. In the great cold I couldn’t even go out to get fresh air because I don’t have shoes strong enough to keep my feet warm enough. I have been writing some poems [in Russian] about how I feel towards God.
Bro Andrej
KUBULI
Things do not go in life as I would like as I am still unemployed. Life is just too hard. All the money we get goes on buying the medicines to keep my grandmother alive. I am glad however to hear of the success of the preaching you are doing and especially it is good about the Bible Schools that are possible.
Bro. Alex
MADONA
This long winter I have the blessing of some spare time, as there is not so much work to do on our land. I have read many books. I got so much wiser reading Islip Collyer. Also I made a study of Brother Allfree’s booklet about passages misused by trinitarians. The explanations are so good and I so wish I had known them earlier in my life. I respect you all so much for your Bible study and zeal to spread the truth, I too am trying to do my part but with less results.
Sis Sarmite
VILANI
The winter here has been the harshest we have ever known. It seems to have made worse all my health problems. I felt even my teeth aching from the great cold, and it was hard for me to breathe when outside. As I say every time, my only hope now is for the Kingdom of God.
Bro. Fyodjor
CHISINAU
Our situation here is desperate. The house we live in is shared by other people who are just wicked, they have no fear of God, and would use even our own children, as they even do their own children, for anything they lust for. We have little heating and we can’t even leave the children alone here for fear of the neighbours, but we have nowhere else to go to live. Please pray for us. We do pray, we believe, we hope and try to understand God’s will for us, but still we have to survive each day.
Sis. Roza
I am thinking of the Kiev Bible School and would like to visit again myself, as I was once there. Thanks so very much for Gospel News, I get it regularly and am very glad to read it. I’m fine and my family is also fine. My daughter started kindergarten and likes it very much; she’s almost four years old now. I’m very happy to have a job and work four days a week. At Christmas we all went to Latvia to visit my relatives.
Sis. Helena
The Karachi ecclesia in Pakistan has received threats from an Islamic activist and has had to temporarily avoid use of their office and meeting place. A Brother and Sister who live in the facility have also had to move to a ‘safe house’ and the leaders of the ecclesia have had to implement strict security precautions as a result of the threats.
In Pakistan it is not uncommon for police or security guards to protect Christian places of worship during meeting times, and I have frequently seen armed police or military personnel standing guard outside churches. The Government initiated these security measures after attacks on some Christian places. However, we don’t want to see this happen to the Christadelphian meetings in Pakistan and we would rather see our meetings go ‘underground’ than have armed guards protecting our people.
This latest threat is a reminder once again of the extreme difficulties facing our brethren in Islamic countries and we ask for your prayers at this time. It is amazing that despite this opposition we had 96 baptisms in Pakistan in the past year and hundreds more are doing courses and preparing for baptism. This gives me an insight into what was happening in the early church when hundreds were being added to the church daily as the persecution intensified.
The most important thing one can do right now is to pray for God’s protection for our Brothers and Sisters in Pakistan. There will obviously be considerable costs with relocating our office and meeting place to a new home.
Many greetings and thanks for your mail. I will be happy to receive Gospel News and any other literature about the Bible. Many thanks for all and I will be very happy to keep in touch with you.
Bro. Lazarovici Mihai
Cebu ecclesia outside their hall.
Cebu ecclesia after the baptism of three new Sisters.
We’re delighted to report the baptisms of VERA and TATYANA, an elderly contact. We’re sorry to report that Sis Tatyana fell asleep in the Lord a few days after her baptism due to complications from the extremely cold weather this winter. We await the day of resurrection.
ARMAVIR
Please pray for us. Galina is sleeping with three jumpers and her coat on, it is impossible to keep the house warm here. Also both of us are invalids, and also Galina’s husband left her and went off to live with his former wife. We believe in your prayers.
Bro. Vitaly & Sis. Galina
IZHEVSK
I received the invitation to the Winter Bible School late, but I hope to come all the same although it is so far from here. I am totally with you all.
Bro. Andrej
KAZAN
Along with Brother Anatoly, I am about to leave for the Winter Bible School. We are so very grateful for this opportunity to meet with other brothers and sisters knowing how hard it is to arrange resources so that this is possible, but without such meetings our fellowship collapses.
Bro. Viktor
I have come here to live from Armavir. I am trying to gather together with the local brothers and sisters. I have many difficulties and need your prayers very much.
Bro. Alexei
I am writing to inform you of the death of my dear father, our Brother Viktor, he died unexpectedly at the age of 58. I am very grateful that Brother Duncan baptized him some years ago. My father truly loved both God and people around him. Meeting with death like this unexpectedly has brought me closer to God and to see the importance of all that we believe about Him.
Sis. Larisa & Sis. Asija
RZHEV
I continue to preach here but I am disturbed to tell you of the death of Sister Tatyana. I now await the coming of the Kingdom of God with greater desire.
Bro. Aleksandr
STAVROPOL
I send greetings to you all. I read the whole of 1 Peter recently. I saw it through new eyes, thinking of all my unknown Brothers and Sisters in the world for whom now I feel great love as we all pass through our tribulations.
Sis. Ludmila
ST. PETERSBURG
I was thinking to myself, how very much good you have done by going around teaching and baptizing people. People like me have been given the hope of eternal life. It has changed our lives. I can only say I am very grateful to you and to our Father even more.
Bro. Valerij
ZELENODOLSK
We are very much with you and hope Brother Duncan can come soon to give us some exhortation. We are now meeting every Sunday for the breaking of bread and we have a very loving spirit amongst us here which is a great encouragement.
Bro. Viktor
SUBOTICA
I distributed Bible Basics and the What Is The Gospel? booklet to a person, I pray for a blessing on our work.
Bro. William
My niece is in great problems and I ask for your prayers, as I am in prayer for you.
Sis. Gela
I'm sorry I didn't write to you . I worked on some English documents translating them to Spanish. I visited Saint Petersburg city for one week. Last year a man wrote some mails to me and I shared our doctrine with him . He recently wrote me a mail, and he wants to get baptised. last year, he wasn’t sure, but now he is sure about baptism. I want to visit there and I will do the baptism if he is ready.
Bro. Scotty
IZMIR
Last week we had 19 people come to our meeting! I was very happy about this, and we look forward to the visit of Brother Duncan to strengthen us.
Bro. Hussein
KHARKOV
I am amazed at how you keep going in the work of leading people like me to Jesus and caring for us, despite all opposition. I am simply very grateful and pray for God’s blessing upon you.
Bro. Anton
We very much wish that Jesus will return soon and our entire family send greetings to you all.
Bro. Vasilij, Sasha & Sis Lena
Please pray for us here in our country. I only pray God will give me the health and strength to be able to serve others as you have set me the example.
Bro. Viktor
