April 2024 Australia, Iran, Israel, UK, USA Conference Cancelled
AUSTRALIA We were delighted to get this report from brother Phil Worsnop about the continued progress of the work with the South Sudanese community in Australia. Phil & Miriam have patiently worked hard for so many years with this and other ethnic minority groups in Australia and so much fruit is now becoming visible:
"We were very blessed on Saturday 30 March to witness the baptism of our new sister YAR (from Melbourne). She had learnt about Jesus and His Coming Kingdom from her cousin Bro Chol (John) Guet. Due to a week of rain and earthworks, the river was not an option. A baptismal bath was made on the back deck. We had a great time of fellowship and renewal together with the 10 brothers and sisters from Melbourne, Adelaide, Kingaroy, Brisbane and Ipswich. And also from the CRC Wanganui online Church New Zealand & Perth via Zoom We had all met over the months via Zoom meetings with CRC Soapbox/Carelinks. Seven of us had also attended the January 2024 CRC camp in Wanganui NZ. .at this time two had become new Sisters in Christ. So, it was wonderful to share the beginning of Yar's new walk in Christ. The Baptism was followed by a sharing of Bread and Wine in remembrance of Christ. Early dinner and fellowship as well as sharing ideas. Bro John. Chol's mother (Yar's Aunty) also expressed an interest in baptism, which will occur in the next few weeks".
Video of the baptism and breaking of bread service and the baptism is at
https://youtu.be/rcuXfsKLFzs Yar must be one of our tallest sisters... all kudos to Phil for constructing a baptismal bath where she could be baptized:
IRAN and AFGHANISTAN Despite our sites being censored in these countries, some continue to use the app and communicate using VPN. This week we held two online meetings, at which brother AMIR in Iran and sister SIAMOY in Afghanistan were baptized online.
ISRAEL
We continue to have many contacts in Israel desiring baptism, and despite the war we are planning a trip there this week to baptize them and meet existing brethren. Appreciate your prayers.
UK
Attendance keeps creeping up at our meetings in Croydon, held four times / week. There's a lot of spiritual growth evident in those that attend and those who are baptized. The medium / long term needs are significant, both financially and in terms of workers on the ground. We've had some wonderful local help recently, but the needs are constant. Over the last weeks we've taken several clips of the work there and testimony from those helped. More recently, brothers Peter Marsella [East Ham ecclesia] and Charles Abel [Hookwood ecclesia] have given interviews explaining what they observed going on at our meetings, the interactions they had with those who attend, and their take on the needs. We've put these things together in a
video at https://youtu.be/4It7mvK5j_4
It's a long watch, but we encourage you to watch it, be inspired by the Lord's work, and prayerfully think how we might meet the needs and whether you could contribute towards that. It's all "so wonderful" [as many interviewed say in the video], we sincerely ask for your prayers as we go forward.
This week there was the baptism of MALIKA and TONY. Tony lives in a flat on the Old Kent Road in central London [of Monopoly fame!]. He spent the decades of his professional career working at the British Museum, a very erudite man of the King's English and very much to the manner born. Like many professionals he ended up retiring with no family at all- and soon found himself terribly lonely and friendless in retirement. On his birthday he shared his predicament with his neighbour- that it was his birthday, he had no friends, and didn't know what to do to celebrate seeing he isn't a drinker. She said she'd heard about Croydon Church in a Pub, and suggested he find out about us and go there. Which he did. Got a warm welcome and went away with a Bible and Bible Basics. He read the book, expanded his general knowledge level familiarity with the Bible- and then after attending with us for some time, asked to be baptized. And so, on Easter Sunday, as it happened, it was our pure pleasure and joy to have Tony and a group of others back to the Heaster home to witness yet another baptism in the bathtub. What was so nice to hear was the comments of the others present speaking of the changes in their lives after baptism. The happy afternoon concluded with a very stirring prayer from brother Marcus expressing joy, gratitude and total confidence in our great salvation.
Video is at https://youtu.be/mymDauapYCU
We were delighted that at least one present said afterwards that they too plan to be baptized!
And if you want to just hear brother Marcus's prayer, the spiritual maturity of 91 years of age and 74 of them serving the Lord and preaching Him,
it's at https://youtu.be/bsjRKyWqFas
Our Easter service was well attended, the talk on Mark 16 and the glorious blessed assurance for us in the Lord's resurrection as our representative of our nature
is at https://youtu.be/14BralHpJn0
USA
So sorry to say that the planned Carelinks Conference in Virginia won't be happening at this time. Anyone in Virginia who'd like to catch up with brother Duncan can contact him directly freebibles2000@gmail.com
PRAYER POINTS
- For those recently baptized
- For Phil & Miri's amazing work with the Congolese and South Sudanese minorities in Australia
- For our planned trip to Israel this week
- For the wisdom and resources to keep on in London at the current tempo
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks