September 2020 Latvia Appeal, UK
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
LATVIA APPEAL As long term
Carelink readers will know, God appears to have had some "special number" on Riga, Latvia- from the beginning of the ages, perhaps. So many of the poor of this world have been fed, warmed, taught the Gospel, baptized, and many now have been buried in Christ- in sure hope of the resurrection. This work has more recently centered around the hall we operate in Riga. Due to changed circumstance, one of our major donors towards the expenses on the hall is now unable to support. Indeed many of our donors are elderly and some have fallen asleep in the Lord in recent times.
Brother Steve Gretton, our treasurer, calculates that the running costs average out at 1000 £ / month.
This is a significant amount of money- and we are appealing to you for your donations towards that. The good work that has been done there has been chronicled over the years of
Carelinks reports.
We mentioned last week that in "the present distress", we [like so many in the brotherhood] have been severely limited by regulations and necessary "red tape" from operating as we would wish. We have been feeding our brethren and friends at the door, but this means it is hard to teach them and pastor them.
We have some who have been baptized some time now, and others showing interest. Church meetings are heavily regulated but "banquets" are allowed, and so [at quite some cost] we are holding a "banquet" for our dear ones that will enable us to break bread and teach them again. And how wonderful was the first meeting held last Sunday. Around 60 attended the first meetings and we expect more next week God willing. We had to hold the "meeting" as two meetings with around 30 in each meeting in order to fit in sensibly. Everyone was so very happy. They had been asking for so long "When are we going to hold meetings again?". There was great fellowship, and everyone was very flattered to have waitress service.
Sister Tatyana says she last sat in a restaurant with waitress service back in Soviet times:
We had sound reinforcement, and various ones gave testimony to their faith and how things had changed for them since baptism. Here's sister Larisa, who is blind, giving her powerful testimony:
From the time they met outside the restaurant to the time they all went to the bus stops to go back to the night shelters, there was constant and excited chatter:
We feel all the work done has indeed brought fruit that has remained, although by the nature of things with this group, they are very dependent upon us for support. We do give thanks for it all, and to those who came out here and laboured over the years, but we have to say at this time- we do need your ongoing financial support.
Donations for this can be made specifically to The Christadelphian Advancement Trust Bank: Barclays
Sort Code 20-49-81, Account no: 90258873
SWIFT/BIC: BARGB22 IBAN: GB19 BARC 2049 8190 2588 73
Cheques can be made out to Christadelphian Advancement Trust and sent to Steve Gretton , 27 Castle Gardens, BATH. BA2 2AN. UK.
Steve is happy to give more information, and you can contact him directly at shgospel@gmail.com
UK We continue to have huge usage of the Farsi "
Bible Companion" app. We commonly get messages like these:
It of course takes some time for folks to move from this point through the app and other teaching towards baptism, but many are making the journey.
This week we're delighted to report the baptism of another 4 Iranians in Croydon- a married couple TAHEREH and MOJTABA were baptized, along with brothers YASER and MOHAMADREZA . Charles, Julie and Sam did a great job again, and others [from as far away as Australia] were able to watch it all on Zoom.
PRAYER POINTS: - For those recently baptized
- For our meetings in Latvia
- Gratitude that finally we can meet again in Riga to break bread
- For the baptisms planned this week in South America
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks