March 2021 Togo, Iranians, Australia, Latvia
We strongly recommend you download the "
Bible Companion" app, from where you can access
Carelinks messages, daily Bible readings,
Bible Basics, commentary on every verse of the Bible and audio exhortations on every chapter of the Bible.
For Android / Google Play at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.carelinks.bc and on the App Store for Apple / iOS at
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bible-companion/id1475914490 You can break bread live online as follows:
Sunday mornings 08:00 a.m. GMT on the Facebook "Carelinks Ministries" page; and on Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6697401754?pwd=K0VWNDlScGwzaThPM2tiU0didmNyUT09 Meeting ID: 669 740 1754 Passcode: XPb9Sz
Sundays at 3:00 PM New Zealand time. That's 1 PM in Sydney Australia; 10 PM in New York, USA on Saturday evening [run by Br John Aldersley in New Zealand] on
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88666715892?pwd=cEx2YUJHTzNiYXg0ODFUY1ViODZnZz09 Sundays at 10am North American Eastern Time [3 PM UK GMT time, 11 PM Sydney Australia time]. Run by Br Jim Barton in Canada.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9123758179 Meeting ID: 912 375 8179
Also, Bible class on Wednesdays at 7 PM North American Eastern Time
TOGO The French
Bible Companion app is getting to the remotest parts of Francophone West Africa. We have enjoyed extensive correspondence with a family in northern Togo, on the desert border with Burkina Faso. We were delighted to baptize the following siblings: VICTOIRE [15 years old] and her brothers DAVID [18 years old] and ZOROBABEL [20 years old]. Just as God had His eye on Abram in the desert, so He had this family in view as well. A number of us gathered together to witness the baptisms, from Australia, France, Latvia and UK, and it was wonderful to be joined again by recently baptized brother Cyrille from Benin.
LATVIA Temperatures continue to be below zero, with more snowfall. It's been a long Winter. We continue taking food and welfare out, although strict lockdown remains in force and it's not possible to hold meetings. As you can see at the end of the video, we always try to have a prayer with those we give food to, and we encourage them also to give thanks themselves for that food.
https://youtu.be/V81kPS4tgDw Some of these elderly folks are sitting huddled up in their coats in unheated, derelict buildings and sheds; and are so happy when food is brought to them and quite literally put on the table for them. The firewood is immediately set alight... the cold is so penetrating [strong winds] and all pervading:
AUSTRALIA We were sorry to hear of the falling asleep of brother Howard Jones in Brisbane, he was baptized by John Stibbs and Duncan in 2003 and was fruit of the early work of Carelinks in Australia with
Bible Basics. At times like this we look back and see how indeed, our labour is not in vain, in the Lord. For we can do nothing higher for a man than to bring him to the Lord Jesus and the blessed Hope of eternity in Him. Here are some file photos of that happy day 18 years ago... we are all looking older but still, by God's grace, on the track. And thank you all for your support which has resulted in all this being used by the Lord so powerfully:
IRANIANS We've had some lovely teaching sessions on line with so many sincere Iranians, scattered all over the world. At one of them we were able to witness the baptisms of FATEMEH, MOBINA and MOHAMMADHASSAN.
It was a lovely meeting, with contacts and existing brothers and sisters present from Canada, Norway, Iran and Afghanistan.
At another, there was the baptism of a married couple, MARJAN and KUROSH. explained [in English] how she was so attracted to the idea of relationship and dialogue with God and Jesus, in contrast to Islam talking only of "submission". We are looking forward to some more from this group [in Afghanistan] being baptized this week, God willing. Some of the Afghan refugee contacts we have are in a very bad way, and we've managed to get some funds to them.
Then there was the baptism of MAHYEH , an English speaker, and brother Mark Hawkins gave a short baptismal message for it:
PRAYER POINTS - For those recently baptized
- For those still cold and hungry this long Winter
- For those suffering depression from the long Winter and economic collapse
- For wisdom in how to pastor the large number of Iranian converts in Iran and also scattered worldwide
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks