February 2023 Afghanistan, Australia, Turkey, UK
AFGHANISTAN As reported previously, our apps and websites are now blocked in Iran and Afghanistan. But those already baptized are in contact and still spreading the Truth. We were very touched to baptized three generations of women from one family, online: FARZANA, HAMIDA and YALDA. Let's pray for these brave sisters as they begin their lives in the Lord Jesus within such a very, very hostile environment. We were also happy this week to baptize online KADIJA, sister of one of our sisters already baptized. Some from our Croydon church were able to be present online, marvelling at how technology enables folks in South London UK to connect with those under Taliban persecution in Afghanistan:
AUSTRALIA We're now able to provide some details of our
Carelinks Conferences planned for April, Lord willing, and our outreach attempts through "
Church in a pub" in Australia:
SATURDAY 1st APRIL: CARELINKS CONFERENCE Gosnells Hotel, 2149 Albany Hwy, Gosnells WA 6110 Coffee from 12 noon
SUNDAY 2nd APRIL:
CHURCH IN A PUB Gosnells Hotel, 2149 Albany Hwy, Gosnells WA 6110 starting 10 AM, food afterwards at 11:30
SUNDAY 2nd APRIL:
CHURCH IN A PUB Kellerberrin Pub, Massingham Street, Kellerberrin, WA at 3.30-4pm. [this is to support sister Jocelyn in her witness out here]
SATURDAY 15th APRIL:
CARELINKS CONFERENCE The theatre at Riverbanks College, 1 Harvest Bvd, Angle Vale SA 5117 Coffee from 10:30 for an 11 AM start.
For more details please contact brother Mark Hawkins mark.ppah@gmail.com Tel. 0400 772 190
We'll be happy to meet up with any contacts interested in baptism in WA, SA, VIC and NSW. Just get in touch with us. We have 5 baptisms planned already.
TURKEY
We continue in touch with those suffering from the huge earthquake, assisting as we can.
The group we baptized in Denizli over the years continues to prosper. This week, with several present from UK and Australia, we were happy to witness the baptisms of NARGES and SEYEDEH:
UK
Every baptism is to some extent emotional, but that of JAMES, a truck driver in northern UK, was especially so. You can see the brief video of this simply beautiful baptism at
https://youtu.be/jzoT-5Dwnkk
James broke out in absolutely genuine appreciation and gratitude as soon as he emerged from the waters of baptism. It's just lovely. Our brother has a very good grasp of all our doctrines and is a regularly user of the NEV Bible and commentary. And more than that, he has a very fine appreciation of the Truth and a genuine desire to walk with the Lord Jesus. We can only join him in praising God for His grace in His Son.
And our "Church in a Pub" and "Lunchtime Church" on weekdays in Croydon just goes from strength to strength, in His strength and blessing. Not just in attendance and baptisms, but in spiritual growth. It's great to see those baptized in recent times being so open about their faith. Sister Gemma who lives in Clapham [South London] was baptized last year and she has started posting Bible things on her social media profiles- and thus the message gets out to her circle of friends on those networks. This is the way the true faith spreads in our age. And this Sunday was her birthday and another sister had a birthday cake made up for her which we ate after meeting at the pub- so she has something else to put on her Facebook feed:
Our Persian language group is prospering, and this week we were able to baptize a married couple, ALI and NOUSHI. Ali is the sister in law of sister Marjaneh, whose baptism in Croydon we reported a few weeks back. Now she had the joy of helping baptize her relatives in the same bath tub she was baptized in. We're going through Genesis chapter by chapter at The Venue and are up to Genesis 22, the offering of Isaac. Such a powerful message there that it provoked several to ask about baptism into our wonderful Lord Jesus who was prefigured in Isaac. The talk, in Farsi and English, is at
https://youtu.be/uChufXnVl48
And we never cease to be amazed at the large interest being shown by local Londoners. This week DOTTY [Dorothy] came back to our place for baptism, along with sister Dana and our new Korean friends who attend the Venue, Priscilla and Sonny. Sister Dotty was so happy and emotional after her baptism, there was a visible change and brightness to her. You can hear her talking about how she felt at
https://youtu.be/r6R6OhSEAcU
and her appreciation of us all- "I have never felt so loved by everybody". In her true London [Cockney] accent. So, thank you to all who have made our work in Croydon possible, through donations of time, money and prayer effort.
Last Sunday we had another record attendance at Croydon Church in a Pub. This means people are sitting on the floor or standing in the bar as all bar stools and chairs have been taken. It means not everyone has a meal, because the kitchen can only cater for so many. And they were all local British people. Who would've imagined such blessing on outreach to secular local Londoners. There is definitely a lot of interest here. Afterwards a group returned to the Heaster home for a social and the baptisms of RYAN and CHRIS. The maturity of the comments at the baptism service is remarkable. Who would not want to be baptized into the Lord Jesus after hearing the kind of testimonies and comments being made... you can hear them, see the baptisms and a few frames of the pub church in the video at
https://youtu.be/Jm17dFG-mkI
Again we repeat last week's appeal... for workers on the ground to come and assist with the truly great work here.
PRAYER POINTS
- For those recently baptized
- For more workers on the ground in London
- For our activities planned for Australia
- For those facing persecution from the Taliban
- For those struggling and feeling isolated now that our material has been blocked online in Iran and Afghanistan
- For our trip to Romania this week Lord willing
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks