January 2021 Latvia, Iran, UK, North America, App releases, Italy
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 and on www.virtualchurch.cc/fello.html
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/81842718993?pwd=YWY1K0dDOW8yVCs2MDh4Mm80YWdoZz09 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 RELEASES Many have asked if the material on the app could be produced as a website. This is a lot of work, but we're grateful to brother Peter for having done it. You can now access all the material that's on the app at www.virtualchurch.cc . The site probably still needs many tweaks but all the material is there and accessible for those who don't 'do' apps or who only have a laptop or desktop computer.
This week we were able to release the apps for Apple / iOS [i.e. iPad and iPhone]. First was the updated English version, which includes a video exhortation for every chapter of the New Testament and also a 3 minute "Christian Basics" video on every NT chapter, a dark mode, and various other improvements. Then we were able to release the Apple / iOS versions of the app in French, Farsi, Russian and Spanish. They are listed for convenience at www.freebible.info
Please share them with those who may be interested. And why not download them, give them a 5 star rating and nice comment [in English is OK]. This helps our presence on the AppStore. A huge thank you to those who donated funds and time to enable this to happen. You may consider funding the advertising of these apps- so far, our advertising has mainly been of the Android version, not the Apple version. But roughly 50% of the Western world uses Apple rather than Android, so there is a great potential audience to be reached in the West which so far we have not advertised the app to.
LATVIA We continue taking food, firewood and clothing out most days. We often leave the packages at pre-arranged locations. Baltic pine trees have a wonderful way of melting the snow around them. One of those trees has become our drop off point on one of our food distribution runs. We are still under tight lockdown and not supposed to meet with other people:
The homeless are often forced to live in derelict buildings which have other inhabitants in them or nearby, who are often alcoholics, drug addicts and criminals. It's not just the subzero temperatures which are a problem, but having to live with these types is an added dimension to being homeless- an aspect heavily felt by those we've baptized who are trying to live and think in a spiritual way. One evening we made three drop offs, and each time we encountered drug deals going on in the areas where our folks are living- typically in derelict areas out of town, or in the abandoned allotment sheds near the river. The video from that evening is at
https://youtu.be/dyMJp_Tzur4 Our distribution of welfare is done as a back up to preaching the Gospel and distributing Bibles and Bible literature. There's a nice example of this in the video at
https://youtu.be/iWWcxMFZn_Y where brother Robert gives food to some homeless men and enquires if they'd like a Bible, and one man says yes he would. Even without translation you can get the spirit of it if you watch that brief clip.
IRANIANS Brother Robert from Riga has made his first Iranian convert. He is sharing the app all over and instead of playing online games with people from all over the world, he is sharing the Gospel instead . And BEHROUZ is one of his contacts. So... just amazing. Robert himself came from the app. So this was Robert's first online baptism. Although he's been present at at least one before, to see how it's done. There is huge potential out there worldwide, and it can now be reached from your own home.
The next day we baptized MOJTABA. His phone fell in the bath, bringing the service to a rather abrupt end, but fortunately after we had witnessed his baptism. He was baptized with his wife and children watching, and hopefully his wife will also be baptized.
Later in the week, there was the baptism of IBRAHIM. Ibrahim is a middle aged Iranian who was searching for answers in life, and didn't find them in Islam. He was really very sincere and committed to the truths he had been studying in the Bible for a long time now. Brother Robert was able to be present. When one says "Goodbye" at the end of these online baptisms, it really is a case of commending them to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build us all up and give us an inheritance. We do hold many online follow up meetings, but in the end, the Lord Jesus is their shepherd.
And a special thank you to the likes of brother Mark, and Craig and Miriam, who run various breaking of bread meetings with those baptized whose personal and security situation precludes them joining in larger gatherings.
NORTH AMERICA We're delighted to report the baptism of BRIAN. All baptisms are wonderful, but around 25 of us had an especially wonderful time witnessing the online baptism of Brian. Raised in a strongly believing family, it was only now, at 51 years old, that he resolved his increasingly nagging conscience and was baptized. He gave the most wonderful confession of faith. There were no dry eyes amongst all of us as Brian struggled through tears to state his life story and testify to God's grace and his love for the Lord Jesus. Truly a fine man and brother. Really our God is a great God, and His love dearer than all human love. Him we adore, through His dear Son. How wonderful that he will meet his dear parents in the Kingdom. About 25 were present all up [not only those in this screenshot]. From Perth Australia to USA and Canada, the Flaherty's boat moored in the Pacific, France, Germany and Latvia. And many from the UK, from Kendal to Bournemouth.
Brian wrote afterwards: "I give thanks to God for guiding me to you. God has called me and changed my life. I was indeed a lost sheep and Jesus has found me. I pray that God will complete me through the rest of my days, that I may find mercy in his Kingdom. God be with you Brother, Brian". We thank God. You can meet our brother online at the Zoom meetings run by brother Jim Barton from Canada [see the information in the header of this email].
UK HAMID baptized himself, with a good attendance from throughout the UK [very good to see brother Phil Martin from Hereford with us online for the first time!]; and others from North America, France, and even brother Daniel Aldersley in New Zealand, who was up early at 6 a.m. Our new brother was really so appreciative, and had been seeking baptism for a long time. He gave a lovely prayer in the water after his immersion. And was quick to share his joy with the world on social media right afterwards.
ITALY The situation for our African brethren in Italy is of course pretty dire; although the Government are no longer closing the camps and those who are in camps are allowed to remain there. Brother Simon writes from a camp near Bologna: "I now have 5 people in the camp who are Christian, they are with me here in the same Camp so through your prayers God is still leading me to do His Kingdom work". Simon asks for more Bibles and
Bible Basics to be sent so he can teach these people more. He sent a picture of his own
NEV Bible, very well used and now with its cover edges fortified against his very studious and heavy use of it:
We plan on sending more funds to the African brethren in Italy over the next weeks Lord willing.
PRAYER POINTS - For those recently baptized
- For the new apps released this week
- For those being persecuted
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks