October 2021 Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium, Czech, Iran, Lesvos Island
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. We have some really great speakers and life testimonies lined up which can't fail to be inspiring to all. Most talks will be live but one or two will be pre-recorded. One of the pre-recorded ones is from sister Brenda in South Africa. It sums up the spirit of all we are trying to achieve in Carelinks- spreading the true Gospel, baptizing people, and encouraging them to a Spirit filled walk towards the Kingdom to God's glory. You will surely be inspired by it:
https://youtu.be/y3HQ_btPI-8
AFGHANISTAN
We continue in touch with our brothers and sisters here. Please do not forget them, not only are Christian converts being hunted down by the Taliban, but there is a chaotic economic situation there now. We had this message from a sister there:
AUSTRALIA
Brother Peter Osborn is planning to drive around Australia following up contacts and advertising the Bible Companion app. Let him know if you have anyone you'd like him to visit. He has created a very cool advertising panel for his car, and writes:
"This will be going around AUS, God willing ... left half '22 and right half '23. Should promote the idea of everyone who is fair dinkum to put on their cars ... great advert, looks appealing"
BELGIUM
Delighted to report the baptisms of SARAH and her daughter MAELYS. Our French speaking team have spent very many hours in meetings and chats with Sarah for the last 14 months. This has been a huge personal journey for them both, coming from a very secular background to the wonderful truths of the Lord Jesus, after downloading the French language app and then lots of online meetings. It encourages us that apparently standard, secular people in Western Europe are indeed responsive to the Gospel when they encounter it.
CZECH
This week we baptized ALIREZA originally from Iran but now in Czech. He has a very difficult situation before him with serious worries about his family back in Iran.
IRAN
This week's Q & A Session on Zoom was about the work of the Spirit, and afterwards those present were able to be present at the baptisms of a family in Iran- mother and father and two adult sons. They travelled specially to a house in the countryside which had a swimming pool, where they were baptized one after the other. It was a very special occasion before God, and also for us- after teaching and chatting about the work of the Lord through His Spirit, we saw the outworking in practice with these baptisms of SIROOS, ZAINAB, ALI and ERFAN.
Brother Naz, baptized previously, was imprisoned for introducing Christianity to others. He has been released from prison but is under observation.
LESVOS ISLAND
Lesvos is a small island off the coast of Turkey which belongs to Greece, and is therefore part of the European Union. Turkey is only a few kilometers away over the water, clearly visible. Most nights, groups of refugees cross onto the beaches of Lesvos in order to reach the European Union. They are gathered by the Greek Police, and put into camps around Moria.
These camps have become notorious for their bad conditions and overcrowding, although in fairness Greece is in an impossible position in having to cope with what they see as constant invasion by foreigners, some of whom are clearly Islamic extremists. People are crowded together in tents and temporary accommodation, given food which they often cook on open fires, and the rain makes the whole place very muddy.
No wonder the graffiti at the perimeter wall reads "Human rights graveyard":
But within these miserable camps are people with smartphones. And there's free WIFI access. People who are downloading and studying the Farsi language Bible Companion app. And there are new arrivals from Afghanistan, who had downloaded the app in Afghanistan and still have it on their phones. For many, their phones are their only personal possession. We went to the camps to meet these folks and are delighted to report the baptism of brother M. The Afghanis are absolutely scared of consequences for themselves and their families who remain in Afghanistan if it is known they have converted away from Islam. We were hoping to be able to set up more welfare support, but this proved impossible. Partly because the whole situation on Lesvos is extremely tightly controlled by armed Police. And partly because although the migrants are given permission to leave the camp for some hours at a time, they are searched on their return. And living in cramped conditions with so many others, many of whom are clearly radical Islamists, any possession of money or other gifts from those outside the camp is immediately noticed. They will be beaten by fellow inmates not only to steal what was given, but in order to know whether the person who gave the gift was a Christian. It's an awful situation. We cannot individually assist our friends there, only pray they will be able to get a way out to a more reasonable situation where they can practice and pursue their faith in peace. There is always a very real fear that they will be forced to return to their homeland, and as one brother wrote through translation:
They obviously do need our prayers.
PRAYER POINTS
- For those recently baptized
- For those in the refugee camps on Lesvos island
- For those facing real persecution at this time from extremists, especially brother Naz
- For those undertaking their own preaching initiatives at this time
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks