September 2023 Afghanistan, Holland, Iran, UK
AFGHANISTAN
Although our app and websites are blocked in Afghanistan, our existing brethren are still sharing the Gospel with others. As a result, this week we had the online baptism of SAEED.
HOLLAND
We spent a lovely weekend in Holland visiting existing brothers and sisters, and also baptizing SAHAR and SANDY. What a time of true joy and fellowship, especially to meet brother Farshid again whom we have worked with for many years:
Our joy was complete as we drove together through rural Holland, and the Lord gave us a lovely rainbow over the road ahead... surely a reminder of His abiding covenant love and blessing on the baptisms:
Elsewhere we met up with others baptized 10 years ago who are still continuing quietly and faithfully in the one and only way. You can see our book The Real Christ they have- we have boxes of these in brother Marcus's sheds. Happy to share them with whoever if you can meet the postage. Or pick them up from Croydon.
IRAN
This week we had a lovely online meeting with some of our Iranian brothers and sisters baptized in Germany, and we were able to baptize their relative MOHAMMAD
UK
The roll continues that the Lord appears to be on in Croydon. We had a large attendance on Sunday, our
sermon on Psalm 8 at https://youtu.be/i57nFiWuhYM
Whilst we await the coming of brother Daniel Aldersley to liven up our worship, we play a very wide-ranging play list of Christian music. Over lunch after service, everyone broke out singing along with "By the rivers of Babylon". Not exactly the style of the churches of our youth, but it was spontaneous, from the heart,
and you can see a clip of it at https://youtu.be/Xqd0LZ7YoCA
And then afterwards 10 or so came back to witness the baptism of SEAN. Sean first came to us at The Venue, another ex-army man seeking to come to God and start a new life. He was a drone operator and is seeking to start a business using drones for wedding and other photography, inspection of rooves and fire damage, and also drone flying lessons for kids. We prayed as a group that he will have every blessing in this and that we'd look back and recall that this prayer had been answered. Whilst he's seen through the army life, he wore his army trousers to his baptism.
You can see the video at https://youtu.be/oYeIZAqxfp8
And we also had the baptism of our Kurdish friend AHJAH after a long period of studying with us. He has an amazing story of persecution and then the long hazardous journey to the UK, all the hand of providence; and you can see his deep appreciation afterwards:
RADIO INTERVIEW
The amazing progress of the Gospel at Croydon Church in a Pub hasn't gone unnoticed by the Christian world around us. We've been invited to be interviewed for 15 minutes about Church in a Pub this coming Monday 25th September, Lord willing, at 8:30 AM on the Breakfast Show of Premier Christian Radio. This is the UK's largest Christian radio station [1.2 million weekly listeners] and this is a prime-time slot. So do pray for it and of course, you're welcome to listen in. Easiest to listen in on their app [https://www.premier.org.uk/premier-radio/ ] but also for UK listeners: DAB: 11A MW: 1305 KHz 1332 KHz 1413 KHz 1566 KHz Freeview: 725 Sky (UK only): 0123
Appreciate your prayers!
PRAYER POINTS:
- For those recently baptized
- To say the right thing and reach the right people in our upcoming radio interview
- For brother Sean to be able to get back into civilian life with his drone business
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks