September 2019 Italy, Latvia, UK
Download the
NEV Bible with commentary and
Bible Companion bookmarks at
http://n-e-v.info/NEVBIBLE.pdf Helps for the
Bible Companion readings this week:
2 Kings http://n-e-v.info/2kingscomm.pdf Ezekiel http://n-e-v.info/EzekielNEVCommentary.pdf 2 Corinthians http://n-e-v.info/NEV2CorinthiansCommentary.pdf LATVIA An urgent appeal. Please pray for this if you can't assist. Due to health issues, two of our usual volunteers at the
Riga Feeding Scheme can't now make their 5 week slot from say 1 November to 7 December, God willing. We really could do with some help in this period. It is not heavy work, but involves several hours work for 5 days out of 7 every week, preparing, serving and cleaning up at the soup kitchen. We also can do with some help in March 2020 God willing. No knowledge of Russian or Latvian is required. Please let us know as soon as possible if you're able to help for all or part of this period. This work has great spiritual reward, as large numbers of people listen to the Gospel every day, and the feeding side of things backs up the preaching of the Gospel; and there are frequent baptisms as a result of this. Please pass this around to others if you can't make it.
ITALY About a year ago we reported the baptisms of quite a number of African migrants in the Milan-Torino area. Most of them are continuing to meet with brother Steve and we are helping rent a place where they can meet and at least get food. The very right wing policies in Italy mean that many Africans are now without state support, the refugee camps are closed- and they are on the streets of Italy, with no documents. This is affecting likely over 1 million people. They have arrived traumatized from the journey across the Sahara desert and then their time in Libya. Nearly all of them were abused in Libya, the women particularly. They were effectively kidnapped, and then photos of them sent to their families with them begging for money to be sent to the traffickers to end the torture and abuse. Here is one such photo, of African women effectively imprisoned by the traffickers in Libya:
They then get across the Mediterranean, with many drowning on the way and all traumatized again by the crossing. They arrive in Italy, where there is no work and only racism against them. Most would not have come if they knew this were to be the case; but now they're in Italy, and it is no use telling folks in that position "You shouldn't have come". The need is the call. The only ways to earn quick money are prostitution and drug pushing. The call of Christ is a radical call to such people. They are not bad people, but driven to this kind of thing by their situation. We spent some days in Milan and Torino assisting with outreach to them.
Brother Steve has been in Italy for 18 years and does what he can to distribute our
NEV Bibles and
Bible Basics to these folks. He rents a room where he can gather them together and teach and feed them and we have been supportive of this work. It was a huge pleasure to have deeply spiritual conversations with three women whom we were able to baptize- GRACE, MARY and MERCY. They are holding on to basic promises like Ps. 125:3 "For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity" and 1 Cor. 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it". These verses take some believing when you are woman trying to survive on the streets of an Italian city, facing Winter. We were impressed with their genuine faith and commitment to going the way of Jesus; they all have "WWJD" elastic bracelets, "What would Jesus do?". We really felt these were women coming to the Lord Jesus in spirit and truth and we really must pray they are given strength to be content with what little they earn doing odd jobs, and avoid the way back into the awful life of the flesh. They all prayed so sincerely before their baptisms, confessing their sins to God. And they have all made good use of the green
NEV Bibles 
We went some way out of Torino [Turin] to a quiet spot where we had a little baptism service and immersed them as they wished into the Lord and Saviour they clearly have come to love and adore:
After her baptism, sister Mary began to quietly and reverently sing "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back". It was impromptu and we were probably all out of tune, but every word of that little song had such meaning for this new sister, and the sincerity trumped the harmony of any orchestra in any cathedral.
You can hear just this moment at
https://youtu.be/ZAcZxTVlSDA 
There is a longer video of the baptisms, with a discussion between Steve and Duncan about what practically could be done in terms of providing regular feeding, at
https://youtu.be/_bhr29pmaFQ As there is a hall and some follow up in place, this would seem an ideal opportunity to go out and run a feeding scheme for a limited time in the Milan-Torino area. Steve assures us that there would be a good take up from the Africans, as he knows the community so well. He thinks over 100 people / day would likely come to be fed, and would stay to hear the Truth preached. Problem is, we can't hardly find volunteers to come to Latvia and cook in a well established project. So... again, will anyone come forward? Failing that we can forward donations to buy food and clothing for distributions; and then there is the heavy postage cost of sending the Bibles and literature out there for these folks. So have a listen to the longer video and prayerfully think what you could do.
UK We're pleased to report the baptism this week of HASSAN, a contact of one of our Iranian brothers, performed by brother Graham and our Iranian brother Baz in a swimming pool in Kent.
PRAYER POINTS: - For volunteers for Latvia and Italy
- For those recently baptized
- For strength against temptation for those sorely tempted by the lure of quick money
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks