November 2025 UK, Ukraine
UK We had such an amazing retreat weekend at Carrotty Wood, with really wonderful talks by brother Tony Whitehorn of Maidenhead ecclesia and lots of praise and worship from bro Julian Baseley of the Guildford ecclesia.
Over 45 attended although many as day visitors, most of them baptized over the last three years of our activities in Croydon. The talks
are at
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqHWDPHDmR_z6EkYNAf9suL854TRaEKX0 We so appreciate all the donations that made this possible, although it was apparent that many who came couldn't pay the required amount as the collection box wasn't very full! But thanks to your generosity we're above water. It's hard not to plan another such retreat seeing the huge good it has done to so many. We use the cheapest such venue in the South East of the UK, and cater for ourselves. The last weekend of the low season [price wise] is at the end of March 2026 Lord willing... do consider coming! There's an open invitation to:
- Come and provide music
- Do the catering [some on the catering team would have benefitted from sitting in the talks]
- Offer to give some talks
Let us know if you can help. There's a huge spiritual dynamism at this event as so many are new converts. Abiding memories include: Smiles on everyone's faces; people talking to each other and becoming friends;
the wonderful baptism of dear LORRAINE who is in the final stages of kidney cancer- the entire service was really so special, and it's all
recorded at
https://youtu.be/QuulWVnVcuI and sisters assisting her walking to the swimming pool through the beautiful autumn leaves is really a great image;
the bonfire with singing hymns around it;
16 year old sister Evia working day and most of the nights doing the catering, ably assisted by sister Victoria who flew down from Glasgow to help her, veteran catering helper Andy Downton from
Horley ecclesia; Jonah and Cis, who did us an amazing Jamaican jerk chicken experience;
the conversations always being about spiritual things; the kids having a great time with sister Astrid [Erith ecclesia];
the beautiful 60 acres of woodland around the venue, with huge mushrooms appearing overnight;
sister Cis singing old school Gospel songs acapela; newly baptized brother Zack bringing his popcorn machine from his party business;
the great mix of ages, with a lot of young British folks there newly come to the Lord;
Saturday afternoon free time walks together through the woodland in the autumn leaves; the strangely wonderful feeling of fellowship as a group of us did the food shop together over 2 hours in Costco.
Truly, "there am I in the midst" promised the Lord, and again His promise came true in felt experience. We're just so grateful to Him and to all who made this possible. May His blessing abide with our work, may this be fruit that remains. But there is every indication that indeed a community is arising in the UK serving Him in spirit and truth, the phoenix arising from two or three generations of agnosticism or, at best, dead tradition Church of England style, which has disillusioned so many in the past.
The next Carrotty Wood weekend is booked Lord willing for March 13-15, the last dates available for the "low" season price wise.
And so we return to "normal" after the dramas of the Ukraine visit and the away weekend. As ever, interest continues to pour in from throughout the UK, especially from lower income local British folks, especially younger people who are turning to God for the first time. This request for a Bible is typical:
So appreciate your continued support so we can get hard copy Bibles and Bible Basics in the hands of such good folks.
UKRAINE
The media hasn't had so much to say about Ukraine lately, but the reality is that the energy infrastructure has been heavily hit and this especially affects our elderly folks in urban areas, typically living in tower blocks- and stranded on upper floors without lifts working, without heating, and with difficulty getting food. Those in rural areas have all been provided with firewood by us, and it's easier to assist them. But it's so much harder to assist those in urban areas living in tower blocks dependent upon electricity and Soviet era underground heating pipes. Appreciate your prayers for them all and for our wisdom trying to help them.
"Ukrainians are now enduring regular power cuts of up to 16 hours a day. In winter, temperatures in Ukraine can plummet as low as -20C. One senior government figure told me they expect the next few months to be brutal. "I think it will be the worst winter of our history," says the official. "Russia will destroy our energy, our infrastructure, our heating. All state institutions should be prepared for the worst scenario... Based on the intensity of attacks for the past two months, it is clear Russia is aiming for the complete destruction of Ukraine's energy system" ...
Another issue that could impact morale is a massive corruption scandal affecting the government. Prosecutors have accused ministers and officials of taking kickbacks from contracts to build defensive structures around Ukraine's nuclear plants. Both of the ministers accused deny the allegations. But the risk for President Zelensky is that Ukrainians, many of whom are living in the cold and the dark, may lose trust in the administration.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly98qp99l8o#:~:text=are%20now%20enduring%20regular%20power%20cuts%20of%20up%20to%2016%20hours%20a%20day.
PRAYER POINTS
- For those recently baptized
- For those like Lorraine struggling with cancer
- For our dear ones in Ukraine struggling with lack of power and heating
- Thanksgiving for our wonderful weekend at Carrotty Wood
- For more catering volunteers for our next away weekend
With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks