October 2021 Afghanistan, Australia, Congo, Italy, Niger, 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.
AFGHANISTAN
This has been an extraordinary week for the Lord's work in Afghanistan. Our advertising of the Farsi "Bible Companion" app has brought forth a wonderful harvest. Firstly there was the baptism of ISMAIL. And then there were two small groups baptized in various parts of the country. These people had typically worked with Americans before the Taliban takeover, and had been exposed to the Gospel by them. Or they had earlier made use of the relative freedom to explore Christianity- and now, faced with the stark reality of the radical Islamist takeover, they have felt the pull of conscience towards the Lord Jesus and have responded. And thanks to WhatsApp and other platforms still operating in Afghanistan, we have been able to teach and baptize them online. The groups were of SAYED, KHADIM and NAWRUZ , and then brothers ABBAS, SAYED, MOHAMMAD and MURAD, and sisters SHAFIQA, ZEYA and MARYAM. Sadly our usual translator, Reza, is now seriously sick with Covid and in hospital, do pray for him, he's such a solid brother and long term helper.
Many of these new ones are not in Kabul but in a pretty remote place. It is really too risky to publish pictures etc. of them. But we have been able to get reasonable internet quality and be present by video at all these baptisms. The area where some of them are is very remote, they've returned to their home areas because of the hard situation in the cities. Here's a Google picture of somewhere near it. Scenery is indeed spectacular in Afghanistan.
These baptisms are taking place under the noses of the Taliban. Whilst there are still relatively many downloads of the app in Afghanistan, there is huge fear of it being found on phones by the Taliban searches:
We really must remember our dear ones there in prayer.
AUSTRALIA
We continue advertising the Bible Companion app in Australia with good results. This week we had a Bible request from an app user in Bamaga, on the far northern tip of QLD, facing Thursday Island and Papua New Guinea. Again we marvel at the extent of the Lord's calling of people.
CONGO
Delighted to report the baptism of SAMUEL in Congo, a user of the French app.
ITALY
We are sending funds out to our African migrant brethren there, against fully receipted purchases of food.
NIGER
Again thanks to the French app, we were able to witness the self baptism of MATHIEU in Niger. This is our first baptism in Niger, a very poor Saharan country in West Africa.
UNITED KINGDOM
Response continues from throughout the UK. MOHAN was baptized in central London, and RASA in Peterborough. We met and conducted the baptism at the public swimming pool, holding our service and fellowship at the table by the coffee machines, and in the playground nearby. You can see Peterborough Cathedral in the background- a clear contrast between the way of religion, and that of true spirituality and fellowship between sisters in Christ in what He surely considers to be the true and real church:
And we had a great time with our dear ones in South Wales, distributing many Bibles in Merthyr Tydfil with Ed and little Jayden, who got his first taste of street preaching:
UKRAINE
We are pleased to report the baptism of IVAN in Ukraine; and also brother Sergej being able to distribute clothing and welfare to those in need in rural Western Ukraine. Ukraine has slipped out of media attention, but the sad and desperate economic situation there continues, what with the war in the East, Covid out of control and the break up of basic infrastructure particularly affecting and isolating those in rural areas:
PRAYER POINTS
- For those recently baptized
- For those in Afghanistan
- For the distribution of Winter welfare in Eastern Europe this season
- For those affected by Covid in whatever way.
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks