October 2024 Australia,Turkey, UK
AUSTRALIA Brother Mark this week baptized EDWIN, originally from Kenya... yet more of the amazing fruit in WA. He reports: "All praise to God who has been faithful to His word and who through Christ Jesus, He has sounded a call of salvation that has reached Edwin's ears and heart. Edwin is a sincere young man; sincere in spirit and honest in self assessment when confronted by Jesus who gave himself to death for him and all of us. The death of the Just for the unjust quite naturally demands a response of any thinking person; a response of rejection or a response humble grateful acceptance of his saving grace. Edwin was driven to the latter. Thank you Jesus for your amazing self sacrifice to God's will and our salvation, for it has borne fruit in yet another son of Adam, but now a son of God.". Video at
https://youtu.be/fPf1N0kVKiw 
TURKEY This week we will make a major trip to our brethren and contacts in Turkey, and really appreciate your prayers and support as we do. Here's a group of some of them this week breaking bread outdoors in a park:
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UK This week, sister Leonie and brother Duncan travelled to the other end of the UK to meet and baptize a former JW in a very difficult domestic situation. No more details as we don't wish to make any difficulties. But please pray for that situation.
The Retreat was just amazing... over 30 people all devoted to the Lord Jesus, many only recently baptized but with great evidence of the fruits of the Spirit already. Discussions about the Bible until 3 AM... making new friends and then saying goodbye at the end feeling you'd known this person all your life... It was a foretaste of the Kingdom, really. People born in England, Wales, Rhodesia, South Africa, Ghana, Greece, Jamaica, St Lucia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Portugal, Zimbabwe, Poland, Romania, Latvia and Australia. It was great to have sister Nastya and her young children with us, we evacuated them from Ukraine at the start of the war after her husband was killed.
There's a brief few words from some of the attenders at
https://youtu.be/FIdEn3EDHqY And even a clip of Duncan & Cindy playing ping pong. We're so sorry for those who couldn't make it. Even veteran attenders of Bible weekends said that this was one of their most amazing and spiritual experiences. Do come if Lord willing we do another one, or sponsor someone to, if you can. The event left a big hole in Carelinks finances... but it was the huge evidence that all these baptisms are truly bringing forth glory to the Lord Jesus, and that is our only aim. We're so thankful it's being achieved. Huge thanks to Brother Peter for coordinating the cooking and doing the most amazing Pizza Making Session... to sister Astrid for the kids' activities... and to all who donated or came.
The talks were on the theme of JOSEPH: A man with all our issues [playlist at
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqHWDPHDmR_xzhmE-oo70q1gg2m8J55M6 ]
After each talk we split into discussion groups. Forgiveness, with or without repentance or apology, was a big theme that came out of the story. Steve especially talked of this, with brother Alan and sister Christine Witcutt's photo as his backdrop- Christine was shot dead by snipers in Bosnia, and Alan spoke and wrote afterwards of the issues related to forgiveness
Pizza Making and marshmallows around the fire were favourite leasure time activities:
But most importantly, spiritual chatting and fellowship with each other was everywhere visible:
The talks were as follows:
The Temple of God: Brother Wacek , with Polish South African Personal Testimony
https://youtu.be/QONS9fdpieY
Joseph and his dreams Genesis 37 [Duncan]
https://youtu.be/4DK2Twy0K14
Joseph in slavery, Genesis 39 [Steve]
https://youtu.be/5JmDAasJnpk
God will be faithful to you and His promise to glorify you, Genesis 40,41 Joseph and dreams [Duncan]
https://youtu.be/r1tYVhNu91U
God nudges us towards repentance and to see the effect of our actions upon others, Genesis 42,43 [Duncan]
https://youtu.be/hI9kpVecVNY
The cup through which Joseph and Jesus examines, Genesis 44,45 breaking of bread [Duncan]
https://youtu.be/rnoYYfuVYPo
Living without reconciliation but with forgiveness, Genesis 50 [Steve]
https://youtu.be/iCMb_F7NREs
PRAYER POINTS
- For those recently baptized
- Thanksgiving for all the spiritual growth apparent at the amazing Retreat
- For those in difficult domestic situations due to their baptisms
- For our work with the Iranian brethren in Turkey this week
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks