Brother Leonid, Riga Bible Centre, China, Burma April 2009
We continue distributing Winter welfare assistance- there's still snow on the ground in parts of Russia and Eastern Europe. The financial crisis is really hitting in Eastern Europe... bankrupt Governments are having to make decisions which majorly impact the poorer end of society. In Latvia alone, 1 in 3 schoolteachers have been made redundant and 1 in 3 hospitals closed, and many reductions for pensioners have been removed. The implications of these things is huge. We continue assisting very serious cases of need. We've also moved ahead with caring for our 83 year old brother Leonid whom we mentioned before. We got him a wheelchair, which enables Sister Lilija to more easily take him to the washing point and also the toilet.
He was struck down by a virus when we delivered the wheelchair but is really grateful for it now. He is simply so very happy with the hope of the Kingdom he now has!
RIGA BIBLE CENTRE
The Riga ecclesia is growing quite large and has outgrown Cindy & Duncan's apartment. With their expanding family commitments they're focusing more upon the work in Riga, and we're working on preparing a Bible centre for regular meetings. We need to install a kitchen area and bath / shower facilities, not only for baptisms but so that visiting workers can stay in the center. We have 4 brothers and a sister coming over soon to begin work on this, and we've worked out the following requirements to get the centre up and running. We really would appreciate your donations or sponsoring of a specific item. 1 LVL [Latvian Lat] = 2 US$ or about GBP 1.20 or AU$ 2.50 . Carelinks USA is now a 501C tax deductible charity. But please do PRAY for this dynamic ecclesia to continue growing. The "Improve your English through reading the Bible" courses attracted around 70 people, who then split up into 4 groups, which also grew rather than declined over time... resulting in 3 baptisms. The potential for the true Gospel to take a major hold in this area is impressive, and there's much practical care and pastoral work to do. We look forward to 3 young people coming over within the next few months to assist, and our plan is that they will be based at the Bible centre.
Any others interested in coming for an extended period are welcome to contact us. But for now, here are the items we invite you to sponsor:
Chairs 40 x 15 lvl = 600 lvl
Rugs 20 lvl
Coat racks 70 lvl
Kitchen units 500 lvl
Oven 200 lvl
Extractor fan 50 lvl
Urn 80 lvl
Sink 40 lvl
Bath & shower 180 lvl
Plumbing 50 lvl
Electrical wiring & fittings 100 lvl
Beds & bedding for bre & sis overnighting 200 lvl
Shelving 70 lvl
Lighting 50 lvl
Outside signs 400 lvl
Loudspeakers and mic for cry room [mother & baby room] 60 lvl
Bibles 100 lvl
Coffee mugs, plates, cutlery for 50 people 100 lvl
Cooking equipment 50 lvl
Divans 400 lvl
Lecturn or material to make one 40 lvl
Specialist labour / electrical permissions 100 lvl
Total: 3500 lvl
CHINA
Our young brothers and sisters here really are "the incredibles". The large number of internet replies we get are well followed up by them, and they make long journeys to every corner of China to interview and baptize contacts. Carelinks assist with their train tickets and travel expenses. The trips often involve 2 or 3 thousand KM round trips taking several days. The Gospel is going into all the world, to every corner of China. Brother A recently completed such a trip to baptize GAI and his wife LU YU. Here are some pictures he sent us
Arriving by night at Xuzhou 
Brother Gai, delighted with the Gospel of the Kingdom; his wife sister Lu Yu with her Bible Basics, gathering together enough water for the baptism.
BURMA / MYANMAR
There's been yet more clampdown by the authorities here which has affected our brothers and sisters. Brother S writes:
"This time our government is very very strict against us Christians. This week we as Christians had to signed on the paper not to pray and worship as groups because the coming year 2010 is when the election will be take place. But I visited to the members house by house and pray with them and encourage them with the Word of God. Please do remember in your prayer continually. So that God will open the door, nothing is impossible with the Lord. I'm finished the translation of chapter one of Bible Basics, and the work is going on. I again read the book through the beginning to the end, I like it so very much, now we are praying to translate in ZOMI language too. Because the book is very good and people will get the truth from that book".
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks