January 2023 Australia, Cameroon, Latvia, Sweden, UK
AUSTRALIA There's a brother in Australia who's been paying for Google ads for the
Bible Companion app in Israel and also in his own town. He's very happy with the results and writes:
A brother who wants to remain anonymous has been contributing $200 a month to a Facebook promotion highlighting our free
Bible Companion App. The spend allows us to promote the App in specific markets very cost-effectively. As an example, in December alone we spent $146 pounds for the month which gave us 167,000 adverts (possible views could be many more). 1736 individuals in Israel clicked on the ad and another 331 downloaded the App. This was just for December. If we extrapolated that out over 12 months that equates to 20,832 people, clicking on the ad and nearly 4000 people living in Israel downloading the App. What a great way to sow the seed of gods truth. Another example is in a medium size regional city in Australasia, a spend of just $15 in a month gave us 4833 separate ads, 54 clicked on the ad of which 24 then downloaded the App. If we did this for 12 months equates to 58,000 ads shown, 648 people engaged with and clicking on the Ad, and 288 downloading the App. God can use all of us in different ways according to our strengths and our situation, all we need to do is take a step-in faith with action and make a difference through his power.
CAMEROON
Carelink readers may recall that our Francophone team have been very active in baptizing some in very remote areas of Cameroon. We're sorry to report that brother Zebedee was viciously attacked with a machete as a result of his faith and has been hospitalized. Funds have been sent and we will Lord willing report more next week. For now we do ask your prayers for this very difficult situation.
LATVIA
Sister Cindy reports:
While Duncan was in the Ukraine, the kids and I headed over to Riga where we were able to meet with some of the brothers and sisters. They were really grateful to be able to have a breaking of bread and a meal together again. Many of them are lonely and find it cold in the winter when they have to be out of their night shelters each morning. A couple of the sisters have recently been given council housing which makes their day to day lives much easier.
Brother Vladimir especially wanted to be remembered to all who have previously come to Riga and helped with the feeding programme. His blindness is unfortunately progressing, so he's not able to help with the Bible readings any longer but is very keen on offering his comments afterwards as always.
We were also able to get up to Naukseni where Liga is still living with the youngest children. Most of the older children are now adults who have moved away but come back on weekends to visit their dear Mum who is always listening to Bible talks online. It was lovely to be able to pray with them and see how the house is still being put to good use.
[You can see from the photo how cold it is, with our folk often without much heating and heavily rugged up against the -20 C temperatures, do pray for them].
SWEDEN
It's a wonderful thing although all too rate that a Jew learns the Truth and quits the synagogue and wants to be baptized. And so it was that ASHER downloaded the Bible Companion app nearly 3 years ago and through that and our YouTube channel has come to complete agreement with all our doctrines. It's been a wonderful process together. We therefore flew to Sweden to meet and baptize our brother, in a bath tub of a large hotel. We had to smile that the room was number 613, the number of laws [mitzvot] in the law of Moses. Our brother didn't want to be videoed so we have no photos to share. We do believe strongly that a remnant of Jews must repent and accept the Lord Jesus as perhaps a condition of His return and so we are very much encouraged by this.
UK
Well as we go to press we are preparing to start our ambitious "Lunchtime Church with a free meal" tomorrow Monday in central Croydon, Lord willing. We really do ask your prayers. And again... can anyone think of coming to help us? That includes long distance or international visitors, there's work 4 days / week minimum, indeed, as much as you want.
We've opened a Facebook page which you can visit and "Like" or follow-
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089245961237
And a website, www.croydonchurch.info
On Facebook it's already had over 700 likes from local people, and over 70 of them have "shared" the page with their friends. Amazing figures. If you have a look at the names of those who put 'likes' you'll see an amazing mix of Anglo Saxon names with names from about every nation under heaven... reflective of the multi ethnic nature of South London. The Gospel is going to all the world. Nice comment from sister Becky whom we baptized in the sea last Summer. And many nice comments which you can read there; if you don't do Facebook, here are a few:
So please do pray for our efforts, on Tuesdays we will focus on a Russian-Ukrainian service, Wednesdays in Farsi / Persian for folks from Iran and Afghanistan. If you have such contacts in London- please direct them to us.
PRAYER POINTS
- For those recently baptized
- For the situation with brother Zebedee in Cameroon
- For our efforts in Croydon and South London
- For those so cold in Eastern Europe this Winter
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks