June 2024 Australia Bible Basics, China, Indonesia, UK, Ukraine
AUSTRALIA We have stocks of hard copy
Bible Basics which are now also available through sister Beth Symes in Victoria, and some will be at the Newcastle Conference, Lord willing.
CHINA
Our dear and faithful brother Donald, veteran preacher and baptizer of 20 years, reports another baptism:
"I baptized brother HAORAN at his home. He worked in a state-owned forestry enterprise spending time mostly on winding and muddy roads, planting fruit trees, pruning their branches and so on. This gave him much time to think about creation. He was then laid off but went to his home village and worked on seedling cultivation. He planted and developed poplars, camphors tree etc . At this time he met some elderly people who mentioned Christianity to him. This lead him going to a local village church owned by the government, but he didn't like the atmosphere there, so he chose to leave. Earlier this year he met Brother Zhangqitao, a friend of his, whom we baptized last year in July. Through his unremitting preaching work, Haoran agreed to be baptized. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16) ,I am praying that Jesus Christ coming soon".
INDONESIA
Phil & Miri Worsnop report:
We are in Indonesia for about 3 weeks, mainly to support Sister Emy and her brother, Bro Sigit in outreach work and also daily activity times with the 10 children at Emy's orphanage home. Part of Emy's preaching work has been to support spiritually, women going through cancer treatment. We have gone with her to visit and pray with some of her contacts who are still in treatment and their family members. Last Monday evening Emy arranged a meeting and meal at a restaurant (which is closed to public every Monday). Some contacts brought their husbands or older teenage children. The main evening subject was 'Should we worry or trust in God'? About 30 persons attended and the cost was under $100, a very cheap special effort. Emy concluded the session with prayer including special requests from some of the people present. We are thankful for God 's blessing and will probably do another session in 2 weeks time , to encourage those present to bring other friends and family. Emy has a close group of friends and family who support her work, Sigit&Ina, their son Peter, Pramu & Rini. Joko, Enie. All provide a strong and ongoing support to preach in their city, Solo in Indonesia. It has also been encouraging for us, as well as the CRC-Carelinks NZ soapbox online church. It was 2 years ago since we invited sis Emy (who was feeling very low and rejected) to join into the Soapbox online church. From that also grew 2 weekly Indonesian zoom Bible classes with family/contacts and children.
As we go to press, we understand there have been a number of baptisms on the trip:
UK
Great attendance keeps up at our lunchtime church held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. ALEX has been attending, an ex-army veteran who lives in a tent in a Croydon Park and carries his belongings with him in two huge army rucksacks. Before his baptism he discussed with us all the things he remembers from the talks he's heard. It was always clear he was paying rapt attention, but it was quite amazing how much he had learnt and could recount from them. A great encouragement that the word of the Gospel is going forth and being listened to by humble hearts willing to accept it. At his baptism, Cistine and Corinne sung "All to Jesus I surrender all" to him; in some ways a hard thing to accept for a soldier who was taught not to surrender. Video of the baptism and lovely singing at
https://youtu.be/29J8IK0CllE
And baptisms of our online followers continue- Croydon Church in a Pub has hundreds of serious followers online, mainly in the UK. "Church in a Pub" resonates with so many people in the UK.
We have been enjoying lots of correspondence with AUSTIN, who through careful Bible reading figured out the error of the Trinity. He made a study on the promises to David and figured that the Lord could not have physically pre-existed, as the seed of David. He made a YouTube video about his discovery. This led him to find no common ground with most churches anymore. So it was such a joy to meet him at the Fairfield Pool in Dartford, South London and baptize him into the Lord Jesus. He very much wants to serve the Lord and we must pray the Lord finds work for him.
As we go to press, we're on our way around the UK visiting various ones. One highlight was visiting MARK and his wife Natalie in Runcorn. Mark had pulled back from baptism a while back, but now he had firmly decided. Both he and his wife are standard secular British people who have come to a Bible based faith, unimpressed by churchianity along their path. They have a little boy, and two days ago Natalie had given birth to a baby boy at home. She so wants to also be baptized but has only just given birth. She wept as she watched Mark being baptized. She definitely wants to do it once she has healed from childbirth. Travelling all over the UK is getting draining... would anyone, preferably a sister or with a sister, like to baptize this lovely lady in Runcorn [Liverpool area]? You just couldn't get more genuine people.
UKRAINE
Many years ago, we baptized sister Galina and her daughter Olena. Their home has been hit whilst they and Olena's children were at home, the windows shattered on them. They are alive and unharmed but the children very traumatized, and sister Galina is very unwell anyway... they say that there is daily bombardment. Do pray for them, and more news next time Lord willing.
We are planning a Summer trip to Ukraine Lord willing and appreciate your prayerful support.
PRAYER POINTS
- For those recently baptized
- For more help at our meetings in Croydon and also for doing baptisms throughout the UK
- For Phil & Miri Worsnops current work in Indonesia
- For sisters Galina and Olena under bombardment in Ukraine
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks