November 2021 Afghanistan, Australia, Congo, Ghana, Israel, Turkey, United Kingdom
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:
Saturday mornings 09:00 a.m.UK time; 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
ONLINE TOUR OF CAESARIA
A reminder of the virtual tour of Caesaria next Sunday 28 November God willing, more details at www.carelinks.net/files/VT281121.pdf
AFGHANISTAN
This week saw the baptism of JAHED, despite the usual problems with internet, Taliban etc.
AUSTRALIA
Mike Flaherty is in a remote part of Queensland at the moment, near a large mine. He writes:
"At the Eureka mining village this evening I had a conversation with the receptionist about the possibility of putting New Testament Bibles in the bedside tables of the accomodation huts (dongas as they're called here). There are 1608 huts for the mine workers. It has been well publicised that mining life can be fairly lonely and depressing with 12 hour shifts for 7+ days straight and far from home and family. Depression and suicides are not unheard of in the mining community. So with prayer we could find many lost souls in the dry outback bush. If you think this is what Carelinks might like to pursue they require a letter for them to present to mine management (BHP) for approval. I hope to be here until at least the end of January 2022 so I could take a box at a time when I travel by bus each fortnight."
We certainly are keen to support Mike's initiative. Strange how Ozzie miners and African migrant workers in Israel are in a rather similar situation...see below under "Israel".
CONGO
Brother Craig and sister Mim and others continue to run many meetings in French along with their WhatsApp group for the Francophone contacts. The French app is heavily used by many in Africa and people are approaching baptism all the time. This week, Craig and Mim were able to do the online baptism of 11 contacts in Congo. Again we marvel at how the true Gospel is penetrating where it has not much done so before, and especially in unstable areas. They write: "In late June of this year we were contacted by a group in the Congo who were seeking baptism. These dear folk are keen Bible students and meet regularly to discuss God's word. Over the last 5 months we have received many questions, and by God's grace, we have been able to supply them with answers. So it is with great joy that we announce the baptism of 11 of these dear brothers and sisters in a river close to where they live. We give thanks to our Father in Heaven for these baptisms, knowing that : "...Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom.6:9-11). We rejoice that these brothers and sisters now share with us the wonderful hope of the coming Kingdom."
In another meeting, DELFIN was baptized online.
GHANA
We rejoiced in the baptism of WINSTON this week, a long time app user
ISRAEL
We reported last week the baptisms of 14 African farm workers in Israel, working on farms in the north of Israel. They work very long hours and only have Saturdays off, and there's no transport on the Sabbath, so they are pretty isolated, can't get to shops etc. Driven to God, or in many cases back to God, by their hard lot, they read the Bible together and use our app on Saturdays for spiritual feeding. They are the loveliest people, although in a difficult situation. As you can see from the video at
https://youtu.be/C-dlhlHrsmI
They live in metal cabins, which are not insulated. They are at high altitude, and the temperatures will be below freezing at night in the Winter. They already are complaining of being cold. They came over in August from Africa, and this will be the first serious Winter of their lives. We have changed the time of our breaking of bread Zoom service so that they can attend, it is at 9 AM UK time on Saturdays in our usual room
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6697401754?pwd=K0VWNDlScGwzaThPM2tiU0didmNyUT09
Meeting ID: 669 740 1754 Passcode: XPb9Sz.
Our first such meeting was such a huge success! The comments from them all were so spiritual, the prayers so humble and genuine. And we didn't have just those 14 but about 20 from Israel, because they had spread the news by WhatsApp message to other farm workers they knew in other areas, who were looking for some meeting to attend on Saturdays. We subsequently started a Facebook page for them, and yet more are expressing interest from throughout Israel. Do come along on Saturdays and see for yourselves and enjoy the fellowship.
One sister had to go outside to get good coverage, you can see her with her phone, ear pods and a book where she was writing notes by hand. She was sitting in some straw on the farm, but wrapped in a blanket as she was feeling the cold, and this is how we saw her on her Zoom screen:
The recording of our Zoom meeting last Saturday [Sabbath] is at
https://youtu.be/wsvBUs8Vrpo
and at the end of it, you can hear that sister giving us a really lovely prayer. There is absolute evidence of amazing spiritual growth- here from sister Chiso:
And sister Emily wrote publically as comment on the video of the baptisms: "You are a blessing to many. May almighty God increase your works. I will live to remember this day because you really changed my life."
Another attendee commented:
They all said they would be grateful for some warmer clothes, and below is the list we compiled. What's really needed aare jackets but that would be expensive for so many. So, we can send jumpers, as layers of jumpers are the way to keep the body warm. But heat escapes from the body through the extremities, the head, fingers and toes. Need to keep them warm. So, we could also send warm beanie hats and gloves [not mittens, so they can still work wearing them]. We could also raise funds to print some beanies with a logo, maybe "www.freebible.info" would be enough. 50 printed beanies [woollen hats] would cost around £250 including postage. Here's a list they have prepared- and we hope the need will be the call, to action:
So:
- Would anyone like to coordinate meeting these needs ?
- Would anyone like to design a logo which could be printed on the beanies ?
Let us know.
TURKEY
Brother Julian Baseley of the Guildford UK ecclesia along with brother Duncan spent a great time with our Iranian brethren in Turkey, holding a conference, Bible studies, baptisms and breaking of bread. Again we marvel at the level of response, as 17 more Iranians were baptized in the hotel swimming pool:
Their first breaking of bread was also a memorable occasion. It was really a great conference, with warm and genuine fellowship between believers, which is the fruit of the Spirit which man must not break.
You can see some of the videos [in English and Farsi] on the Carelinks YouTube channel.
We do really appreciate those who enabled the conference to happen. It was truly glorifying to our Heavenly Father.
UNITED KINGDOM
The amazing response to the Gospel in central London continues. Our new sister Bisi came with us onto the streets of Brixton again. We distributed over 200 NTs and also gave brief public talks. We were able to present sister Saida as an example of a Muslim converted to Christianity. She was willing and eager to testify, especially to the many black Muslims in Brixton these days. See the video of the Gospel being presented in its simplest terms, backed up by our literature distribution and engagement with people, at
https://youtu.be/MYQ68pPvhFk
Sister Bisi herself came to us from getting a Bible from a friend of a friend who was first given it on the streets in Croydon during one of our distributions there. Sister Saida, as an ex-Muslim whom we baptized recently, was just living proof of our very simple message- that change to the Lord Jesus really is possible. Whatever your religious or personal background. Brixton is full of drugs, traded and done openly, with a lot of Muslims. We parked our car by a sign which speaks for itself. But our new sisters are just so wonderful to work with, a true light to a very dark world in the ghetto.
And then also in South London, we were able to visit and baptize ARASH. He was a commercial airline captain who came to Christianity from one of his flight attendants three years ago. Since then he has read the Bible well and more recently been using our app, in both English and Farsi. Pressured because of his faith, he applied for asylum in the UK. He really is a true convert to the Lord now in spirit and truth and it was a pleasure to baptize him in South London. You can likely catch up with him on our Saturday Zoom meetings. So again, we really have no idea who is using our app and seriously mulling over what they learn- a commercial airline pilot was using it, and with this happy result. He is being put up along with his wife in a quite classy hotel which unlike many of the asylum hotels is still open to the public. Here you can see him as a pilot [actually a captain], and now having a coffee after his baptism in his London hotel:
PRAYER POINTS:
- For our plan to get clothing to our brethren in Israel
- For those recently baptized, 34 this week
- For those living in inner city ghetto situations
- For those persecuted by Islamic extremism
- For our work in Australia over the next 3 weeks