Iranians, Sisters Weekends, Philippines – January 2005

GOOD NEWS FROM SOME IRANIAN REFUGEES

Some of the Iranian asylum seekers appear finally allowed to leave for Canada.

Our brother N writes:

If you asking about me I'd say that I'm ok! It's about 11 days that I'm living with B&M and we are all doing well. I'm Expecting to hear about the tickets on the next week God willing and what I do insist at the moment is to study more English as I don't wanna wasting my time in the Canada . I think 17 months is good enough:) .

Honestly I have two different feeling , I feel excited and abit strange about living in Canada and more ever I am abit sad as I am going away and away from my motherhood land and I don't think if I back there if thing goes in this way. any way I think I'd better to counting Canada as my new county , This is the work that I did about Azerbaijan and made me to feeling more comfy here . I don't feel me as a stranger here any more .

Any way I wish to working in the God way more ,.. no matter where I am.

Please say hello to Cindy & Don't forget to pray for us ( Especially for B&M)

God bless

Your Brother

N

SISTER'S WEEKENDS

As previously reported, the Russian Bible School was a great success. Brethren and sisters from the West sponsored attendance by about 50 brethren and sisters from throughout the former USSR. For some time, we've been discussing the idea of running sisters weekends, as a large % of the 'brotherhood' in Eastern Europe are in fact sisters. The sisters' classes held at recent Bible Schools have gone very well, and we have some budding speakers!

In a step of faith, we've arranged two sisters weekends in the next month. But we need your support, as very few in Eastern Europe can afford to pay for their fares or accommodation. These first sisters' weekends have a mix of local and visiting sisters leading them. Details are as follows:

Jurmala, Latvia: Sis. Jean Field [England] will speak on Bible Words and Sis Cindy Heaster on Bible Women and Medicine. There will be a breaking of bread on the Sunday, where Br Marcus Heaster will speak about The Women At The Cross.

Poltava, Ukraine: Sis. Robin Jones [Australia] on The Women In The Genealogies of Jesus; sisters Ludmila Miroshnichenko (Kharkov) and Ludmila Chernyakhovec [Poltava] on Women In The Gospels. There will be a breaking of bread along with the local ecclesia, where Bre Steve Jones and Duncan Heaster will speak about The Women In The Life of Jesus.

Approximate cost of each weekend would be around US$1200. Already many sisters in Ukraine have expressed their desire to attend. We'd love to be able to fund them to bring their children, as there are many single mothers there with nowhere to leave the children. We'd also like to invite our sisters in neighbouring Moldova, who desperately need positive and sound fellowship at this time. But this depends on what donations we receive.

We're hoping that these sisters' weekends will gradually become self-supporting and enable our many sisters to have a forum in which to discuss issues relevant to them.

We'd welcome any offers from Western sisters who'd like to come over and give talks.

Photos:
Local Russian speaking sisters giving talks at sisters' classes held during previous Bible Schools



Local Russian speaking sisters giving talks at sisters' classes held during previous Bible Schools

AMAZING NEWS FROM THE SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES

Our brave brother Alfredo doesn't receive any assistance from us financially, although we send him literature and have printed and mailed to him what he's translated into Cebuano. He and his wife, young baby on her back, go from door to door preaching and encouraging people to attend their Bible Basics discussion group, living on what people give them. He reports that up to 20 people in the discussion group are eager to be baptized. We can only pray for him and seek to help him with literature as far as we can, and we deeply respect him. Plans are in hand for a visit to him.

I would like to apologize for this long-delayed communication from us. It is because Cecily got sick as of the moment. She's been in the hard time in adjusting the hardships, the weather conditions, and the type of work that we have been doing. The baby is okay. It's only Cecily who's been so sick for a couple of weeks now. And I have given my priority in taking care of my wife and child. I think it is an overfatigue because we only walk in our day-to-day visitation.

Just continue to pray for us. The good news is - the ministry that God has been entrusted in us has been growing very well. God willing, we will have another baptisms. I think there would be more than 20 believers who would be baptized. I'm sorry if I would not be able to give to you all the photos that you want because I have my every penny be to my wife and my child. In a situation like this, I'm sorry if I have to priority on the basic need of my family. But rest assured, that we have been doing well in the ministry.

God had been so faithful to us. For months that we have been in the ministry, God has poured His blessings, and have not failed to gave the the fruits of our labor. Just pray for my wife. BEcause truly, she's been too ill. And I just entrusted her to the Lord. Sorry that I would not be able to contact again to you through the internet, because I just set up my heart to access the internet ONCE a month. Because it is really too expensive for me.

Just extend my regard to Cindy. You have been in our prayers, as always.