News from Europe / Eurasia
We are pleased to report the baptisms of M, N and E in very difficult
circumstances; they need our fervent prayers as they embark upon the life in
Christ.
POGRADEC
We are still remembering with joy the visit of Liz, Ben and Abi to us here. We
have many more people interested in the Gospel. We are preaching to the high
school children here.
Bro. Adem & Sis. Bukurie
Our Iranian Brother and Sisters are still here awaiting a UNHCR decision. They
thank you for your prayers. The sisters have been ill and are sick with worry,
but are strong in the Faith.
Group discussion at the Indian teachers gathering. Sis. Mary Jane Abel explains
about Visual Aids and Activity Sheets.
BARANOVICHI
Sadly I can’t come to the Bible School this time, but I have some people here
interested in the Truth. I need more copies of Bible Basics to give to them.
Sis. Larisa
BORISOV
I have been left by my husband but I realize for sure that God is with me. I
will try to attend the next gathering in Minsk.
Sis. Anna
LUNINETS
Brother Sasha is in hospital, in great pain because of the ulcers. I am sorry
for not writing to you all, I have had so little time, but I love you all in the
Lord.
Sis. Natasha
MINSK
We are continuing to produce our magazine here but we have some financial
difficulties. We pray for you all.
Bro. Gennady
STAI
I have little new in my life here. I continue to be surrounded by people who
live by bribes and alcohol. I earn only $30 month. It is very hard for me to
travel much. I am praying strongly for you all.
Bro. Ivan
TERESHKI
I am surrounded here in this small village by the problem of alcohol. Many
pensioners spend their pension within a few days on alcohol. They are then weak
and ill for the rest of the month. There is much theft, and constantly I am
nervously broken down because of what may happen to me at the hands of drunk
people. Even very old pensioners are getting drunk, and the younger people will
never find good work because they drink. I am getting older and weaker, the Lord
is my strength. I pray only to endure each day.
Sis. Anna
I was just reading 2 Tim 1 v 15: “This thou knowest, that all they which are in
Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes”. Can you
imagine how hard it was for Paul when the whole area of Asia (modern Turkey)
turned away from him? I believe it was quite a challenge for him, but he did not
give up. He knew God was on his side. We probably have the same feelings when
some betray us in one way or the other.
Bro. Aleksej
BEER SHEVA
Viktor has been very weak lately, we are holding on to our lives only just
about, so it seems. We so want the Kingdom to come. The situation in this
country cannot go on much longer, this is our reason for thinking that perhaps
we shall live to see the second coming.
Sis. Nina
JERUSALEM
I would be very interested to receive literature in Thai and to know if there is
any ecclesia in Thailand. Thai workers in Israel seem to be very stuck in their
ways and need a new direction.
Bro. Anthony Hinchliffe
TEL AVIV
Now our hot summer has ended here, it was hard for me to endure it this year. I
am keen to distribute Bible Basics to people here. I pray there will be big
ecclesias everywhere.
Bro. Jhosef
May God bless all the efforts to take the word of God to every corner of this
planet. We are very much with you in this. We had a wonderful meeting when Bro
Jesse Warner was here. It was a true spiritual celebration for us here! I am
going back to Russia and Ukraine soon for some time and I am determined to do my
part in spreading the word there too.
Bro. Vladimir
You know how weak we are in facing this hard life alone, but what does encourage
us is the fact of what we are in Jesus Christ, indeed if it wasn’t for him we
couldn’t continue in the way, I do feel weak sometimes and unstable minded
because of the circumstances I face, for sure He is in control, but when you
haven’t got any power to face that, or you feel like that, then that would be
another story, but at the end we have victory over any thing by Jesus Christ, to
him be all the glory for ever Amen .
Bro. B
ALMATY
We here are worrying how we will survive this winter. Our clothes are worn out
and we need boots. We do not know what to do. Please pray for us.
Sis. Nina
Comment: We have sought to arrange for this need to be met.
We have been living here on very little for the last months as we still can’t
find anyone to rent our spare room from us which is our main income. My heart is
also bad now. We miss you all.
Sis. Lena
KOKSHETAU
Here we have some news in that Sis. Zhenya has now married Bro. Henryk in
Poland. I am working on the problem of getting our ecclesia here registered, it
is problematic. Don’t forget us here!
Bro. Yuri
BALVI
I have had two brothers and a sister living with me temporarily, as they have
nowhere stable to live just now. I am continuing my work of translating, but
life is such a struggle in every area, we can only struggle onwards with God’s
help.
Bro. Petris
JEKABPILS
We are just grateful beyond words for the help given to our mother to have a
cataract operation, she can see clearly again in order to read the Bible daily,
and we realize that we, too, have been helped from darkness to light by the
Truth you have taught us.
Bre. Sergej & Sasha
JELGAVA
I am hoping to come to the next meeting and I have invited my mum although she
is busy with her work, as she has a job caring for a graveyard. All things are
in God’s hands. In my preaching I am only doing what I have to do as a believer.
Bro. Janis
LIEPA
I continue to lie here sick, I am praying, I am reading, it is all I can do, I
put my trust in the doctor and the commission but I also know not to put my
trust in the sons of men who can do nothing without God.
Bro. Viktor
PILTENE
I am learning that the world is full of troubles and many people have more
troubles than we have. I am 77 now but I am indeed happy.
Sis. Olga
RIGA
When I cannot come to the meetings I always make the breaking of bread at home.
I assure you I read each day with you from the Companion. It is such a joy to me
to receive a letter, I am rejoicing for some days because of it. I so love you
all.
Sis. Aleksandra
I deeply thank you for teaching me and baptizing me. I am still struggling to
make it a daily routine to read the Bible, the things of life and of my work are
hard to displace. I remember that my mother who is long since dead was a
believer, I should have listened more to her rather than coming to Jesus in
later life.
Sis. Margarita
I am very glad to get letters, it reminds me that I am not alone in this world.
I wish every one of you God’s deepest blessing.
Bro. Anatoly
TUKUMS
We were really so sorry to hear about the death of Bro. Ivan in Kubuli, our home
village. But with us here all is OK. Didzis is working and we continue in Bible
reading together here.
Sis. Larisa
VECMOKAS
As the season has finished I have now ended my job of gathering apples in a
nearby village, so again I am struggling for survival. I have some relatives
whom I believe might respond to the Truth and I would like you to send Bible
Basics to them as this is to me the best way to get them to the Truth.
Sis. Vaira
VENTSPILS
I thank you for the warm clothes that you kindly sent to me. The receiving of a
big parcel was an occasion for me! It arrived safely and I have been moved to
tears. The clothes will be applied wisely and with prayer. Thank you for
everything you are able to do to help make the world a fairer place for us. God
bless you and keep you safe.
Sis. Olga
VILANI
I feel under a lot of stress here, there are so many problems for a Russian old
man living here. The heating in our block will not function this winter, so I
worry about that. I worry too about my grandson and his problems at school here
as a Russian speaker. I am considering carefully the offer to move in to the
housing project. I pray to God about this. I read the Bible daily and try to
hear His voice to me in all things.
Bro. Fyodyor
CHISINAU
I am in a bad situation with work, I have nobody here to help me find work.
Please pray for me, I have so many problems, and at times I even feel my
connection with God gets damaged by my worry about them all. May God bless us
all.
Sis. Elvira
I have recently been in Moscow with my young son Evgenij, he is deaf and there
was a possibility of having an operation done which might restore his hearing,
but it would cost $25,000 and there is no guarantee it will work. Here in
Moldova there is very little facility for educating deaf children. I don’t know
what to do. I believe the Lord will guide me.
Sis. Svetlana
DUBOSSARY
Through the magazine I want to thank all Brothers who work so hard to feed us
spiritually, I promise that I read all the articles and exhortations sent to me,
this is more for me than my daily food. I am praying for the Brothers persecuted
in Pakistan.
Sis. Tamara
NISPORENI
I am so happy to be baptized! There was always something lacking in my life
spiritually, a sense was always with me that in that area I was so lacking. Now
I am reading the Bible with new eyes. My favourite verse for the moment is Is.
41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you”.
Sis. Valya
We thank you so much for your love and all you do for us. We know that you are
dear to us. Here it seems at times to all be a closed door. If you see the TV
news of Morocco you will know a lot about this country. So you will see that it
is not an easy thing for us to live here. You can’t imagine how sad is our
feeling to leave Morocco and live outside and leave the preaching here.
Christadelphians must support themselves and we don’t want to apply to you
always for money. All you can do to help us is to pray for us.
Bre H, I and R
It’s nice to hear a lot of people are baptized. I read in the Gospel News quite
a lot are baptized in Latvia. That’s very fine. Soon will be seven years since I
was baptized. Time is flying. A lot of things happened after this. I read the
Bible according to Bible Companion. In August there was John Benson and Ray
Willets from Oslo, and the sister from England. So we were reading the Bible
together and breaking the bread.
Sis. Helena
I am very excited to inform you that our team has been working on a (secret)
project for producing audio cassettes. We selected some parts from Bible Basics,
and then we encouraged each other to produce it in other languages. This morning
we have achieved our goal. Now have we five audio cassettes in my hand, Punjabi,
Urdu, Balochi, Sindhi and Persian / Farsi. Urdu and Punjabi were prepared long
before by Sis. Esther, but we kept silent until the other languages were ready.
I have asked Bro. Farooq to make one audio CD to post you all these five
languages. We will then try to make duplicates for nominal price distribution
and also free copies to very poor families. As you know our ministry is still
among lower class people, many of them cannot read and write, but now they can
listen to the doctrine and teaching. This has been our vision, to have as many
tools as possible to reach people easily. This is a most wonderful project that
we have done with the Lord on our side. Be sure the Lord is on our side and He
will continue to use us for His glory leading towards the establishment of His
kingdom on this Earth.
In His unfailing love,
Br. K and team
Greetings and prayers. I just got back from my five days trip to Nawabshah.
Wehad a meeting with 12 men and three ladies. They have been reading and
answering the lessons from the Bible Basics book. Brother F have been taking
questions and our doctrine and beliefs from them. Two Brothers A and I, and one
Sister N of 22 were secretly baptized by me in presence of Br. F and some other
baptized Brothers and Sister. 23 Bible Basics were distributed there and we will
make frequent trips to them to encourage those who got baptized and those who
are interested to know more. Meetings were conducted twice a day, 2 to 5 pm and
8 to 10 pm. In the mornings we held unscheduled meetings with those who were
interested and shared the gospel according to our beliefs. We introduced
www.bbie.org website and you may start receiving responses from there.
Bre. F and K
According to the Bible “no man can serve two masters for either he will hate the
one and love the other or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and mammon”. Yes, my dear brothers, I want to say this to
you, that I cannot serve God and mammon. I can serve only God.
Sis. S
The Esperanto team meeting in Poland (Bro. David Budden, Esperanto Linkman with
glasses in the Centre) The Esperanto effort has brought a number into the Truth
from various Countries.
We are pleased to report the baptism of OKSANA (Abinsk); may she hold to the
hope of the Kingdom until the end.
ABINSK
Our Brother Vladimir has been teaching a young man, a teenager, and I am hoping
to baptize him soon. I have so many problems here. But this has brightened my
experience each day, to teach another who seeks for God.
Bro. Sasha
EFREMOV
I just received Gospel News and with such eagerness I always read it, all the
way through, to know of my Brothers and Sisters and to grow in my knowledge. I
still recall the things we were taught at the last Bible School although it is
some time ago now. Although I don’t have as much time as I would like for
studying, I know that my life has changed very much since my baptism.
Bro. Oleg
JOSHKAR OLA
It’s strange for me to make the breaking of bread alone. I am surrounded by
people from other churches and I am hoping to be able to persuade some of them
of the Truth. I am very much with you all. I remember the Bible Schools. I hold
on to the promise that we will all be together in the Kingdom.
Sis. Lena
KALACH
I have received copies of Bible Basics and I have given them out to people in
hospital and elsewhere. I am now in the habit of reading by the Companion and I
break bread on my own on Sundays at 11 as suggested in Bible Basics. I know that
after all the years of being deceived by people, I have truly got the truth now
and I can face death calmly.
Bro. Nikolaj
KAZAN
I am praying so much these days, for there to be peace, for the service of the
Gospel to continue, that more may come to joy and fellowship in Christ. I am so
glad that Sister Ludmila has been baptized now in St Petersburg. I had much
correspondence with her and I am so happy for this.
Sis. Ludmila K.
I received greetings after my baptism from Brothers and Sisters in England, USA,
Australia, Russia etc, it made me realize that truly I have Brothers and Sisters
and am part of a much greater family. I believe I will live with you in the
Kingdom of God. This is my message to you.
Sis. Lilija
We are so sorry for not communicating for some time. Things are much better with
us as we are now both working and are settled. The greatest joy for us is that
our mother Gulnara was baptized by our dear Sister Ludmila!
Sisters Anna and Lilija
I was reading recently from the Acts of the Apostles. I suddenly realized the
huge effort Paul made, the effort he expended, and how he endured. I felt I was
reading for the first time how he entered hostile synagogues and preached. I am
hoping to come to the Bible School.
Bro. Ramil
LIPETSK
I enjoyed reading the latest Gospel News and also the booklet by Bro. Pearce,
‘God’s Living Proof’ which was printed by Bro. Podgaisky. I have been feeling
myself very unworthy to be a Brother of Christadelphians, yet I believe also
that I am redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. I pray especially for the
Brothers in places like Pakistan.
Bro. Sasha
MOSCOW
I am so looking forward to coming to the Winter Bible School, such meetings
really give me such strength. I am now working here in Moscow and renting a room
with Bro. Vitaly. I am trying to pray for all people I know, so that their eyes
are opened to the truth.
Bro. Igor Pr
NOVOUGOLNY
I am so looking forward to trying to come to the Bible School to meet with my
one true family. I have so many problems. The Government are now trying to tell
me that my pension is not legal for me to receive as I am a Georgian refugee. I
continue to trust in God.
Sis. Ekaterina
OKTYABRSKIJ
I am very happy to hear of so many others coming to the Truth. I now am not
alone here as Sis. Tamara is now my baptized sister in Christ, and we meet
together very often. I remind myself of 1 Cor. 15:58, that we must not be weary
in our deeds for the Lord, as there will be a reward.
Sis. Larisa
I’m so grateful for the literature sent to me after my baptism. As a 65 year old
widow these things of the truth are the most important for me in the world. I am
so grateful to Sis. Larisa for introducing me to you and so to the Truth.
Sis. Tamara
POKROVKA
Thank you for encouraging me to give you addresses to whom we can send Bible
Basics. I have three people I have been writing to and this offer came at the
right time. I remember the parable of the sower, how we sow and God will give
the increase. The winter has already begun here. I always worry how to survive
this time of year.
Sis. Svetlana
ROSTOV
I have others here in this area who would like to receive Bible Basics. Whatever
wounds we receive in our ministry, we are comforted to know that the end is very
near and getting closer.
Bro. Andrej
SARANSK
My baptism truly changed the whole direction of my life. Now every time I get a
letter it moves me to tears to realize that someone else in our true family
thinks of me, and that I am not alone here. I believe we are really on the right
road to the Kingdom of God and that we will get there.
Sis. Aleksandra
SAINT PETERSBURG
I am very much thinking of you all in these hard times and am always eager for
your news.
Bro. Valerij
SHANINO
It is now hard for me to communicate with you. I can only do it when my daughter
goes out of the village and can post a letter. I continue to pray for you every
single day. I realize now that many Brothers and Sisters have an even worse
situation than me. My dream is to come again to the Bible School but I am unsure
if it will work out now.
Sis. Tamara
SHCHYOKINO
I greatly respect your risking of your life in taking the message to dangerous
places, I want to thank you from myself, because it is inspiring to me as I sit
here trying to also give my life for the Truth. I pray so much, I would like to
know if they really help people or not.
Bro. Boris
TULA OBL.
I feel a great eternal debt to you for so caring for me. Now I must try to repay
it by a new life. I pray for you. I want the Kingdom to come soon. I am hoping
to get out of my bad situation here by moving to live with a relative in another
Oblast.
Sis. Ekaterina
At the second Ukrainian Bible School in Poltava, 2002
ULYANOVSK
I am reading the Bible each day since my baptism, also I am breaking bread
regularly. I see now how I wasted my time for 30 years as a member of the
Communist party, learning Marxist-Leninist philosophy that in the end cannot
give salvation. I am learning a lot from my study of the letter to the Romans. I
see the moral demands made upon me personally by all that God did for me in
Christ.
Bro. Viktor
VOLGOGRAD
After a gap of 1.5 years I am planning to visit the Bible School again, I so
miss my fellowship with my Brothers and Sisters. I continue to study each day
but without fellowship it is so hard.
Bro. Viktor
ZELENODOLSK
Here we are feeling that our small ecclesia is really growing. We are meeting
regularly and Sister Ludmila comes from Kazan to help us. She is really a good
teacher and we are very serious about our studying of the Bible. We love you
all.
Sis. Valya
We are pleased to report the baptism of NENAD and the receiving into fellowship
of his close friend ZHELJKO. We pray for these two Brethren as they seek to
spread the Truth in this dark land.
God bless you and your Christian families. I have just sent a Bible to a woman
in Nis who is interested. May God bless her.
Bro. Nenad
Thank you for coming here and helping us spread the Gospel to our neighbours!
Bro. Zheljko
Our Brother here has been persecuted badly and reports that he is now shunned
but hasn’t yet been thrown out of his home. He needs our prayers
We are delighted to report the baptisms of two Sisters here amidst very real
persecution. They need our prayers; one has already been fired from her work as
a result of Bible reading.
BILA TSERKVA
After my grandad’s death in 2001, I spend most of my time caring for my ill
grandma, that’s why I don’t have much free time. I’ve translated ‘Moses My
Servant’ by Bro. Harry Tennant. At the third Ukrainian Bible School in Poltava
there were 100 visitors present; 13 Brothers and Sisters had come from the UK.
There were two speakers, Bro. Stephen Palmer (Cardiff) and Bro. Andrew Walker (Milnsbridge).
Bro. Stephen talked about Peter – disciple’s portrait – and Bro. Andrew spoke of
Joshua – entrance into God’s Kingdom. Five ladies were baptised into the saving
Name of Jesus Christ by Bro. Palmer. Everyone enjoyed fellowship and spiritual
unity. I eagerly pray and wait for our Lord’s return to this wicked earth.
Bro. Alex. Tischenko
KHARKOV
I am hoping to come to the Bible School God willing, along with Bro. Anton, he
is a pensioner but he so loves to be there and will do all he can to meet with
the other Brothers and Sisters.
Sis. Ludmila
KIEV
I am here in Kiev at the moment staying in the flat of Sis. Elena. It is so nice
to have some spiritual fellowship with others here. 2 Cor. 7:4 encourages us
that God will always comfort us in our tribulations and this has happened for me
in this way.
Sis. Tamara
I thought I would just say ‘Hello’ Marcus, as you were my very pleasant tutor
more than 10 years ago! My great love to Brethren Andrew Longman and Jeremy
Skinner too. They baptised me in April, 1993.
Bro. Henry Ouspensky
POLTAVA
We pray for your wellbeing and hope that we meet again very soon or in the
Kingdom when Jesus is back to set it up. (I can work with you to translate the
Truth’s literature).
Bro. Yestov Gennedy.
Not so long ago I met Bro. David Vimes in Kyov. He liked my idea of presenting
flowers to the newly baptised Brothers and Sisters after their baptism. He took
a photo of me and promised to write an article about it in the Magazine but I
don’t know whether he has done it or not. Our world is full of evil, and we must
support each other in faith and in love in these last days. We pray about the
soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, when the language differences will be in
the past. I send you big greetings from our Poltava ecclesia and from Veronica,
Gennedy and Antony. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus
Christ, the Father’s Son in truth and love.
Bro. Vladimir
The time I spent in your company at Moscow Bible camp was so great. And your
lessons that you’ve been telling us are so interesting and helpful (because your
explanations were so clear!) The things we learnt about our newly baptised
Brothers and Sisters in other countries who were punished by the religious
police was so sad that I cannot even tell you about my feelings. The thing that
I cannot help them in any way is awful. They suffer too hard, as none else.
Bro. Anton
We have people here who are interested and I am hoping some will be ready for
baptism. I pray for them.
Sis. Ludmila
I am teaching my pupils some Christian songs in English, I have taught them “All
things bright and beautiful” and other songs. We have been able this Summer to
get many apples from a collective farm that now has no manager. So we are happy
to have them.
Sis. Veronika
I have been thinking much about the theme of Angels, and want to do more
research on this. I have some people here who are interested in the Truth and I
am working with them.
Bro. Vladimir
Because of financial problems and the need to buy medicines I was unable to get
to the Moldova Bible School, this was a great blow to me. I have been feeling
rather low recently.
Bro. Gennady
ROVENKI
I have been really sad because I lost a very good Christian friend. I have
another friend who reads the Bible with me sometimes and I have given her Bible
Basics to read.
Sis. Tamara
TAVRIJSK
May all Brothers and Sisters in Iraq and Iran be kept by God! I am praying for
them and am always eager for news from them. May there be blessing and peace for
us all from our Father.
Sis. Nana
TASHKENT
I see that what the Truth is all about is life with God each day, prayer, loving
our neighbour, spreading the word to others. I am sick and each year I am
interviewed to decide whether to give me a pension and I am praying that I will
continue to be granted this, I have no other help apart from God, and yet I have
learnt that money doesn’t solve all problems.
Bro. Oleg
