October 2021 Afghanistan, Iran, Malawi, Morocco, Poland, UK, Ukraine
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 09:00 a.m.UK time; on Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6697401754?pwd=K0VWNDlScGwzaThPM2tiU0didmNyUT09 Meeting ID: 669 740 1754 Passcode: XPb9Sz. We are currently going through the book of Genesis, a chapter every week.
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
CARELINKS CONFERENCE
The next Carelinks Online Conference will be on Saturday 6 November God willing, in our usual Zoom room
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6697401754?pwd=K0VWNDlScGwzaThPM2tiU0didmNyUT09
Meeting ID: 669 740 1754 Passcode: XPb9Sz.
VIRTUAL TOUR
Our brethren in New Zealand have been supporting a Messianic Christian Jew, originally from New Zealand but now a tour guide in Israel, by arranging for a virtual tour of places of interest to us as believers in Israel. The next tour will be of Caesaria on Sunday 28 November God willing, and the details are at
https://www.carelinks.net/files/VT281121.pdf . Do join in!
YOU TUBE
Various ones have commented lately that there are ads popping up on our YouTube videos. The Bible Companion app is not monetized and does not allow ads and popups, but YouTube are different. They strongly encouraged us to monetize our channels but we declined, so that our viewers continue to have a better, ad free experience. However, recently YouTube informed us that if we don't monetize our YouTube channel, then they will themselves place adverts on our videos. Seeing YouTube is a free service, we cannot change this. We do not get a penny from YouTube for the adverts they choose to display on our videos, and we're sorry for the inconvenience their policy may cause viewers.
AFGHANISTAN and IRAN
We have had online baptisms in Iran and Afghanistan almost every day this week. And for every one baptized, there's lots of correspondence and meetings with those who haven't yet made it to baptism, or who get cold feet once they reflect upon the potential price of conversion in those lands. In Afghanistan, ZAMIN, SAKHI, ROHULLAH and MALIK; and in Iran, ALI, KHALIL, MILAD and FARZAD.
These baptisms are typically done on WhatsApp video. Often we have to do them "on demand" once someone is ready for baptism, because internet connections, security issues, fear of being seen or overheard etc. make it difficult to fix a time and stick to it. We could really do with more people willing to be available to get involved in being present and contributing some encouraging words at the baptism meetings. Let us know if you are a WhatsApp user and would be willing to be called and added to a meeting at short notice. There is really so much interest. We get messages like these all the time:
MALAWI
Again after extensive usage of the app and finishing the study course, ESAU got a friend to hold his phone for us to witness his self baptism in a river:
MOROCCO
YASSINE has been searching for the Lord Jesus and baptism into Him for a long time. So finally, after much correspondence and using the French Bible app, he baptized himself in the Atlantic Ocean before a good number of online witnesses, who stayed on to see it after Sunday's Zoom breaking of bread. His girlfriend, whom we hope and pray will also accept the Lord, was able to come into the water and hold the camera, after we held our service with them sitting under a parasol on the beach:
POLAND
So pleased to tell you of the self baptism of JAMES. He has already attended our Zoom breaking of bread on Sunday after spending years researching doctrines looking for the Truth. He is really impresssed by our no trinity and no devil positions. He's an American who's lived 20 years in Poland and works there. Really very very nice brother.
UK
It's not every week that we have to report no fewer than six baptisms in London, spread out over several days and meetings. They all came through the Bible app, or having the app shared with them by others. There have been brothers DARIUS, RASOOL, HESSAM, ADNAN and BEHNAM, and sister NASRIN. Please pray for our wisdom about trying to arrange a more central meeting point for all the converts.
With over 1000 migrants arriving in the UK some days over the English Channel, travelling from France in dinghies, the Home Office has taken over entire hotels to house them. One such hotel complex has over 500 migrants in it. App usage statistics show people in that hotel complex using our apps 24/7. People eagerly share the app with the other residents. Just a few taps on your screen and it's shared. As they have little to do all day, they do tend to use it and learn the true Christian faith which many of them are seeking.
The catering is all contracted out, and they all complain they are fed the same food three times / day, typically chicken and rice. Some are having stomach issues because of it. We've asked Migrant Help to relocate some of them but they won't or can't.
We do try and provide them with some welfare support. They have accomodation, basic health care, food [of sorts] and clothes from various clothing banks. But there are many other needs people have in urban life. Typically we meet in their hotels or accomodation, and then go out to McDonald's afterwards.
Some of them have children. One such son of one of our brothers is 11 years old and has made his own fishing rod from a stick and is fishing in the ponds on Clapham Common.
We've also kept up street distribution of the New Testaments supported by our sisters in Clapham, resulting in so many interesting contacts and chats. Sister Saida is such a great street preacher, we left her alone with the last box of New Testaments to finish off, opposite Brixton tube station, and she reported as follows about her experiences as a Christian woman preaching alone in an Islamic part of London:
UKRAINE
Sister Nana and brother Alexei have been inspired seeing the pictures of Bible distribution in the UK, and asked us to send some Russian Bibles, which we did. Here's Nana out on the streets talking to folks and giving them Bibles in her small town of Melitopol, southern Ukraine. It takes courage to get out there in your own town on your own and do this kind of thing; may God bless her witness and may the seed rise up to the Lord's glory.
PRAYER POINTS
- For those recently baptized
- For wisdom in pastoring and caring for all the converts especially in London
- For those like Saida and Nana who are out on the streets preaching alone, be it in small town Ukraine or Islamic suburbs of inner London
- For the safety of our new brethren in Afghanistan and Iran
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks