December 2020 Latvia, Iran, Bosnia, Hungary, Africa
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 GMT on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/69292278377 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]
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87515766908 Meeting ID: 875 1576 6908
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
APP APPEAL Total downloads of the app [in all languages] have now far exceeded 750,000 in total. This is a lot of people now having the true Gospel on their phones, along with all they need to grow in Christ after baptism.
So, a reminder of previous weeks' major appeal for significant funds [13,000 Euro] to majorly upgrade the app, offer video talks and a breaking of bread exhortation for each day, and make it available in Farsi, Russian, Spanish and French on Apple [iOS] iPhones and iPads .
LATVIA With snow and subzero temperatures, the need for warmth and food amongst the many now homeless is particularly acute. The pandemic has resulted in the closure of some night shelters and a sharp decrease in the amount of casual employment available. So we continue taking food and clothing out to many who are now living in abandoned sheds and Summer huts on the edge of the city or further into the countryside, burning any scrap wood they can for heat. You can see us here taking some firewood to some about to burn a wooden door:
Those who were previously sleeping literally under the stars have been driven by the snow into all kinds of derelict accommodation:
As always, this work is to back up our preaching of the Gospel. And it continues to bear fruit, largely amongst those who previously attended our meetings but are now driven by the economic collapse to turn more seriously to the Lord Jesus. This week we were able to baptize ALEKS, after a very good confession of faith in the Lord Jesus. He rose from the water really so joyful:
You can see a video of the baptism, and firewood distribution in the snow, at
https://youtu.be/R8Smb5roQUc HUNGARY In August we reported the baptisms of a lovely group of ex-JWs meeting at a farm house in the countryside of southern Hungary. The group have continued meeting, and we're delighted to say that they were able to baptize TERIKE, an older woman who attended the meetings we held then. She has studied the doctrines further and they were able to baptize her in the same bath tub that we used for the baptisms in August. Again we take great encouragement that individuals and small groups are developing worldwide, often in obscure places, who are clearly spiritually and doctrinally of sound mind and awaiting the Lord's return. Here is brother Bela baptizing Terike:
And here is a file photo of Terike studying with us at one of the meetings we held there in August:
The new ecclesia sent a video of the baptism:
https://youtu.be/AyTH901uHAE We've also produced more online material in Hungarian including material explaining how to be baptized.
BOSNIA AFRICA The French and English versions of the app are spreading into many parts of Africa where there has been little Christian witness before, and very little activity by our own community. We have users and interested folks in places like Mauritania, Gabon, Western Sahara, Central African Republic, Chad etc. which are typically Muslim and French speaking. After some really wonderful correspondence and long question sessions on WhatsApp, it was a pleasure to witness the self baptism of ALI IBRAHIM, who has totally converted to the Lord Jesus, with great joy. Despite persecution from Islamist extremists in his area. There have been over 100,000 downloads of the French app alone in French speaking Africa, and about 60,000 of them are using the app regularly. That is just in French speaking Africa. These are huge figures. And they are the more exciting as this is an area where relatively little work has been done for the true Gospel.
ZIMBABWE Another app user, ALEK, had seen through the false teachings in his local church and was so happy to find others who believed as he did. After much correspondence, we were able to witness his self baptism this week in his own home:
PRAYER POINTS - For those recently baptized
- For those spending the night in very low temperatures, below zero
- For those struggling to decide for baptism in the face of so many pressures not to
- Gratitude for the huge spread of the app, more than we ever anticipated
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks