April 2021 Cuba, Ecuador, Finland, Italy, North America, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine
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 09:00 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/81015280780?pwd=LzAwNDRTTzhNcFpiRGlmaGx6YUpvZz09 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
We continue to have so many people studying online with us through the app, and coming to baptism.
We would appreciate offers of involvement from anyone willing to get involved in the online meetings and running breaking of bread meetings with those baptized.
This week alone there were 19 baptisms, and for each of them, there is need for pastoral follow up online, and for each of them there was much teaching of others who didn't make it to baptism at this time. And many of those baptized are growing wonderfully [see report from South Africa below]. It's not only "Zoom fatigue" but simply lack of hours in the day to keep on with so many genuine seekers after the Lord Jesus. Let alone the follow up with those already baptized.
CUBA ROLANDO and his wife EMILAYDIS were baptized online by our Spanish group, she is the sister of brother Celio. It's always good to see the Truth spread between relatives. There is now a small, active group of baptized believers in Havana and another group in central Cuba based around brother Raul. Cuba and much of the Hispanic world is deeply suffering due to the economic crisis with the Covid pandemic; and Cuba remains under tight sanctions from America which makes life so hard for many ordinary folks.
ECUADOR Brother Celestino, whose self baptism and walk through the rain forest to the river was all witnessed online by us last year, has been taking aid to hungry folks in the rain forest areas. Mainly food. We've also sent him more Spanish literature. He is definitely reaching some of the remotest parts of the planet- with the true Gospel. Do pray for him with his great enthusiasm for the Gospel and the Lord's work, in such a remote place.
FINLAND, NORWAY, SWEDEN Are there Angels for specific geographical areas? The book of Daniel might imply so, and we think of "the Angel of the waters" in Revelation. There were baptisms connected with Scandinavia this week, all together... and one does wonder whether there was some higher hand making them happen together, although the folks don't know each other.
SIIRI a young woman from Finland, was baptized after getting the app and
NEV Bible which Marcus had sent her. Despite living in materialistic Finland, she explains how that Bible is her most treasured possession. It was a lovely meeting, see
https://youtu.be/4ZZY2lwPS_4 amazing to hear testimony from someone living in such a secular, postmodern, post Christian society who has encountered Jesus in spirit and truth, and feels as if they are living in a pagan country. As usual, a lovely group present, from Bosnia, UK, Australia, France ... It was a really beautiful baptism with some very spiritual discussion, do 'be with us' and watch the video.
BORGE, a 65 year old man from Norway who married a Malaysian, lives in Malaysia, converted to Islam... and then saw through Islam, and began researching Christianity, passing through many groups until he came to us after much Bible reading. One of the first things he told us was that he was not a Trinitarian and didn't believe in the literal pre-existence of the Lord Jesus. So we got on very well. Of course the problem in Malaysia, as with many Islamic republics, is that you can convert TO Islam, but not from Islam. So he is not in an easy situation- very different to tolerant, secular, postmodern Norway where he came from. Come along to our online Zoom breaking of bread, and you can chat with our brother personally
Siiri and Borge were baptized separately but on the same day... we marvel at how the hand of providence was at work with two Scandinavians in totally different circumstances, as ever, calling men and women out from the postmodern society they came from. We look forward to their breaking of bread with us at our Sunday Zoom meetings, which at 09:00 a.m. GMT are well suited to both of them. Do come and join us and meet such wonderful new believers.
And then in Sweden, there were baptisms of two Iranians, MAHMOUD and his wife SHAASHA.
IRANIANS There has been a bumper harvest this week. MAHZOD, MAASA, AMIR and MAJID and were baptized in individual baptism services, and then there was a group baptism of sisters MARJAN and MARYAM and brothers MOHAMMADALI and REZA. Fruit of a lot of work. They even got roses to celebrate what was for them the greatest moment in their lives.
ITALY Our African migrant brethren continue in a very tough situation, what with the third wave of Covid in Italy. We've sent more funds out there.
NORTH AMERICA A while ago we had a small donation from DAVID. We got to chat more, and it was clearly that he was, as he said, a long time and thoughtful user of the
Bible Companion app. He earnestly desired to be baptized, and we were able to do this with him. But he is pretty much homeless- not because of drugs, alcohol etc., but pretty much by choice. He lives in a forest, totally off grid, without electricity, charging his phone once / day from a building some way away. And ... happy.
He's really a wonderful person and brother. He has internet on his phone, and "off grid" for him doesn't include being without internet. You may be able to meet him at brother Jim Barton's Zoom meetings, now we've introduced him to Zoom.
SOUTH AFRICA Paul Leonie Verster, despite Paul's very difficult health situation, took some from the Soweto ecclesia and drove 5 hours each way to visit our new sister Brenda who self baptized, and by all accounts, had an absolutely wonderful time together. This indeed is the Spirit of the Truth, of the Lord Jesus, known and lived and experienced in spirit and truth. Leonie writes:
"We have had a really wonderful couple of days with Sis Brenda .She is a real gem and she was so welcoming of us all. She is so deeply grateful for having found the truth and is sharing it with everyone who has ears to hear..her Mum in law joined for the BB and a friend arrived this morning late but in enough time to hear Lucky final summing up and he included her is his prayer. He gives amazing prayers her appetite has been whet. Both Bongani and Lucky are exceptional brothers and the two sisters are super committed and warm and lovely.Sis Precious gave Dimpho the 4yr old her time with Bible stories and activities. We too are on a high, bro Bongani is helping me with the driving. We should be home just before dark GW"
You can see from these photos that self baptism, technology, apps etc. is not divorced from real spiritual experience in the body of Christ.
And around the same time, self baptized sister Oksana in France was looking very happy at the online follow up meeting:
TURKEY We were so pleased to witness the baptisms of a husband and wife, DAVID and MAHBUB. Mahbub is the sister of a brother we baptized previously in Greece, and her husband David is from Colombia and a Spanish speaker. Brother Ben from Los Angeles was with us for the lovely event. They both dressed up in white and baptized each other. There can be no doubting the sincerity of such genuine lovers of the Lord Jesus and their commitment to Him.
UKRAINE Brother Sergej was able to visit and baptize two contacts, VOLODYA [Vladimir] and then LENA. Sister Lena is seriously unwell. Both had had the
NEV Russian Bible hard copy, and the Russian "
Real Devil". Volodya says that he managed to quit alcohol abuse after really understanding the true nature of sin and temptation; quitting alcohol went along with quitting his belief in a personal Satan. Lena really needs a lot of help materially and we are arranging for this; she is really in need of medication and help. But it's a great blessing that even during these times of limited travel, Sergej was able to meet and baptize these contacts into the saving Name. You can see them in the photos with
Russian NEV Bible, and Russian "
The Real Devil". There clearly is still a place for the printed word even in these days of apps.
PRAYER POINTS - For those newly baptized
- For more help to reap this great harvest
- For brother Celestino's work in jungle Ecuador
- For those in economies so struggling with the pandemic
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks