News from Asia
Contact efforts are still being made with
regard to our martyred Brother Faris, his wife, and the other two brethren
stranded in Kandahar. A visit is planned, God willing. Here is a tribute from
Bro John Kasanda (Kasembe, Zambia):
I wish to offer tribute to our brave
Brother Faris of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
His brutal death is a shock to us. Dear Brothers and Sisters who remain, when
we open our Bibles and read Acts 6:8-15 we read how the Jews argued with
Stephen the man of God, but they could not stand up against his wisdom and the
spirit with which he spoke. They got him executed on false charges of
blasphemy. Yet in the end he still prayed for his spirit to be in Jesus' hands.
Brother Faris has left a remarkable spiritual lesson to each Christadelphian.
We too must never stop speaking the Gospel until our death. We hope to meet in
the Kingdom to come.
Further, Sis. Julie Trotman (Southampton, UK)
was moved to compose the following in tribute to Bro Faris:
THERE'S A DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
With the dark time drawing near
And with friends who couldn't see,
Loving Jesus didn't think of himself but of you
and me.
He was trembling and afraid
For the ransom must be paid
For the children that he loved to be freed.
So he knelt there on the ground
And his anguish could be seen,
With temptation hitting harder than ever it had
been.
Then the God who answers prayer
Proved to Jesus He was there,
As an angel gave him strength to proceed.
What he gave him in his mind
Was a vision he could see
In the glory of the Angel: "Yes! Soon that will
be me!"
From the moment that he came
Jesus rose up through the pain,
Being strengthened to endure cruelty.
Keep a vision in your mind
When the path you've taken home
Is a dark one and you know you must take it on
your own.
Keep a vision through the storm
Of a fireside bright and warm.
Keep your head down in the wind, when it blows.
Though the storm clouds hide the sun
And the rain beats in your face
Surely Jesus is beside you with guidance and
with grace.
So remember this is true:
"I will always be with you"
'Cos he's been there, and he will get you through.
There's a dark side of the moon
And a light side in the sun,
And the light side is the time when God's
Kingdom has begun.
There's a good time coming soon
When the bad times will have gone
And the glory of the Lord will have come.
Thanks for your letter and I must apologise that it
has taken me time to reply. I have
trouble with my knees and always have the chest pains, day and night. Some Brothers came for the breaking of
bread. At times it takes place once a
month due to distance.
Bro. Joe
Theseira
I am so thankful for Gospel News, it is a great source of encouragement to us all; I
find so much comfort in reading it.
There are a few English speaking Brethren and Sisters here; we have
seven members in our meeting; there are also friends and visitors. We all share the same faith as the rest of
the Brethren and Sisters around the world, so it is good to hear what is happening,
so continue sending GN. It is also
really good to see the truth flourishing.
Bro. Satya Deep
MINDANAO
More than 100
Brethren and Sisters from the three ecclesias in Mindanao attended the Bible
Truth Camp week in Kilikili ecclesial hall in April. Bro. Francisco Espastero and Bro. Alex Junio were the speakers
during the study which was focused
on the letter of the apostle Paul to Titus.
The Camp was also highlighted by the baptism of six new Sisters.
Bro Efren Facum
Above: The Sisters who were
baptised at the Camp: (from left:) Sisters Lotchie Naelgas, Cristine Cantarora,
Jeralyn Fajardo, Rowena Arellano, Julie Arellano and Mary Ann Soriano.
Below:
A group of those attending the Camp.
My name is Joan Mendoza Alburo and I am 20
years old. I am deaf and my parents are
deaf. I have two sisters and three
brothers. I am a true Christian. Please supply Bible Basics.
Joan Alburo
Here in the Philippines in the last two years
much seed has been sown during the visits of the Australian Brethren and Sisters - too many to mention - but special thanks to Bre. Jonathan Galbraith and David
Dangerfield for their continued help in preaching the truth. Recently a new ecclesia has sprung up in San
Mateo, Isabela (through the continued help of Bro. Jonathan Galbraith) where a
certain man and his family have now become Christadelphians and a certain Luis
Bartolome who is an ex-JW student, but is now a Brother. Summer is good for wider opportunity to
preach the good news of the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ, so I'm
hoping you will please send me 20 English Bible
Basics and 10 in Tagalog and some pamphlets. I hope you will be able to grant this because
it is urgent to preach the truth and defend the truth against mainstream
religions and conventional Christianity as the papal and protestant 'Christians'. So I'm hoping you will
help me preach the truth by means of this literature for distribution and also
for the needs and spiritual welfare of the Brothers and Sisters in Christ and
for the interested friends who are preparing for baptism. I hope that God's work may be done through
us. If you are able, can I request the book by Bro. J.V. Collyer, ISRAEL: Land and People of Destiny,
which is of interest to me. May your
work and support to those in other countries continue by means of literature
distribution and through Gospel News
magazine. So, my fellow-workers in the
Lord, as we share the promises God gave to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David, let
us remember they are to us as well. Our
work will be tried on that day, may He say, "Good work done, my faithful
servant, enter into my Kingdom, for it is my Father's pleasure to give it".
Bro. Ryan L. Datuin
Photo: Sister Joan at School
SAN PABLO
I am sorry for not writing earlier. I am stricken by severe rheumatism in both knees; I have had it now for more than seven
years. The left knee was somewhat
improved due to weekly massage with herbal oils by an old lady in her 80s. She lives in a far-flung village; if she were nearer and could be here daily
I'm sure both my knees would be cured.
In spite of this my faith in God is growing. Please continue sending Gospel News; some of them I pass on to my friends and
neighbours.
Bro. Danilo Sy
