July 2023 Chad, Iran, Ukraine, Israel, UK. USA
CHAD Usage and downloading of the
French Bible Companion app continues very high, especially in Francophone Africa. This week we were delighted to baptize ABDUL in a remote location in Chad, far into the Sahara Desert. Truly the Gospel is going into all the world. Our brother is living in a Muslim society that is plagued with terrorism and extremism, with what law and order there is kept by the Wagner Group's private Russian mercenaries. A very scary situation, and yet the Gospel has penetrated it.
IRAN Response from the
Farsi Bible Companion app has been seriously muted by it being blocked in Iran, and likewise difficulties using WhatsApp and other such internet-based communication systems. Only those using VPN can dodge some of these blocks, and that is illegal with the regime. We were therefore delighted to be able to online baptize SHOHREH and ABOLFAZI, a married couple who had very seriously studied the Gospel through the app and accepted it. They were highly nervous, as you can gather from these screenshots taken before and after the baptisms. Do pray for them in their brave commitment to the Lord Jesus.
Later in the week we were able to baptize another contact in Iran, ELMIRA. As ever, many thanks to brother Arash for all his work translating for us at these meetings.
ISRAEL
A reminder that we'll be meeting with brethren and contacts in the Galilee soon, Lord willing. Let us know if you'd like to meet up with us there.
UKRAINE
Planning a trip around a war-torn country isn't easy- so hard to juggle priorities when there's so much need of various types. Appreciate your prayers as we seek to wisely prioritize things during the upcoming trip, Lord willing.
UK
The meetings in South London go on with every blessing imaginable, not only baptisms and good attendance, but real spiritual growth very evident. We are up to max capacity at church in a pub, there are virtually never any spare chairs or bar stalls, but we do breaking of bread every day at our meetings for Lunchtime Church on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in central Croydon. Attendance there has varied from 20 to 70, with usually 30 or 40 present for the service and meal afterwards. Again, we appeal for any able to help with the catering and other support issues there. The whole experience really turns on its head the idea that "Nobody's interested in the Gospel in the western world". All kinds of people attend, from homeless and pregnant drug addicts to middle class folks, from those disillusioned with churchianity to those looking into the Gospel for the first time. Here's brother Marcus at the pub:
This week we were happy to baptize OMID, a Christian refugee from Iran who converted to Christianity in Iran and bravely had a Christian tattoo which has caused him problems. Many of us are from the generation that frowns upon the idea of tattoos, but we live in a fast-changing world, and these are the kinds of signs of identity with our Lord Jesus which the younger generation are into. You can see the tattoo in the photo:
We have a busy week of activities planned this week in south London including a social get together on Saturday, Lord willing, and we invite your prayers for all the many people we're interacting with in order to bring the Lord Jesus to them, in spirit and truth.
USA
Brother Brett in Mayfield, KY is by all means trying to get the word out there, he writes "I'm putting these out at our local hospital waiting room. Free snacks, courtesy of the Mayfield chapter of Carelinks.net. There are booklets with your article about the gospel and the Bible app address".
May God bless his efforts!
PRAYER POINTS
- For those recently baptized
- For the upcoming trips to Ukraine and Israel, especially for wisdom in planning the Ukraine trip
- For continued blessing and wisdom in running the expanding church in south London
- For those under Islamic persecution
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks