Brother Oleg, Brother Valerij, Equipment Appeal, Iraq, Malawi November 2010

This Sunday's Bible Companion readings include 1 Timothy 2, and there's an exhortation about this chapter at http://www.aletheiacollege.net/audio/1tim2.mp3

BROTHER OLEG
We have written so often in these reports of the situation in the Baltic states, whereby many people are driven to live in the night shelters. They must be out by 8 a.m. and only back by 8 p.m. They're not allowed to store anything in the shelters, so they must carry their few posessions with them on the street all day. In one of those night shelters lives a blind man in his 60s, OLEG. He is led by the hand by some kind person to the bus station or somewhere where he can sit all day. About 18 months ago, he asked if someone would lead him to a church as he wanted to know God. One of our brethren led him to the Riga Bible Center, and he has attended now for some time. In June he managed the long journey of 150 km. to a Bible weekend in northern Latvia to hear Br Steve Gretton talk about Forgiveness. He finally decided last week for baptism, having been taught further by brother Vlad who is himself almost blind. It was a case of the blind leading the blind- not into a ditch but into the joy of the Hope of the Kingdom. We have a steady flow of brethren from various British ecclesias visiting at this time doing building work on the new meeting place, and it was the pleasure of Bro Mark Leadbetter of the Maidenhead ecclesia to be present at this baptism. Brother Oleg really has things tough, but went on his way rejoicing. We give him a plastic container with the soup leftovers after most meetings. He has a plastic bag with a few clothes in- that's all he has. You can see him holding it along with his stick as he is lead back to the night shelter by sister Anda and brother Yuri:
         

Brother Oleg with his bag of posessions and his stick, leaving the Riga Bible Center and being lead back to the night shelter after dark by sister Anda and brother Yuri:
         

Here's our brother eating at the Bible Center, with extra soup in the plastic container to take back to the shelter:
    

It's costing quite a bit to provide several major meals each week for so many people, as well as provide various items of clothing, medicines and welfare to the likes of brother Oleg, and we so appreciate those who have enabled this so far; any able to donate regularly towards the cost of food and the running of the Bible center are welcome to contact us. We believe it's a unique opportunity to feed the hungry whilst at the same time teaching them the doctrinal truths of Christ which are so central to our Faith.

EQUIPMENT APPEAL
There have been a steady stream of building workers from no fewer than five British ecclesias working to install accommodation, showers, toilets and a new kitchen at the new premises of the Riga Bible Center. Brother Mark Leadbetter is at this moment working there along with local brethren- Latvians, Russians, and our asylum seeker brethren from Africa and Iran have all been helping out. Already our sight-impaired brother Vlad and one brother are in residence at the Center, but there's a long way to go yet. We look forward to Brother Peter Stringer coming out from Australia later in December. We're sorry to keep drawing attention to the needs but... our general funds are very low right now due to so many welfare issues recently:
- More chairs- chairs even 2nd hand cost around 10 GBP / 16 $ and we need around 50 of them, the cheaper ones we bought before are already starting to break
- Cooker and extraction hoods - 200 GBP / 320 $
- Stainless steel worktops required by regulations- 350 GBP / 560 $
- Shower units 200 GBP / 320 $
- Water heaters 150 GBP / 240 $
- Flooring [linoleum, boards] 1500 GBP / 2400 $
- Sinks 150 GBP / 240 $
and ... as anyone who's done any building work will know ... plus plus plus.
Photo: Some chairs we've been eyeing on very special offer, reduced from 14.65 LVL to 8.99 LVL
    

BROTHER VALERIJ
Brother Valerij's awful pain is now over and he sleeps now in sure hope of the resurrection. We appreciate the donations received but they didn't completely cover the last week of care. There was a good turn out at the funeral, and it was heart warming on that cold day to hear from co-workers and others present that in healthier days he had told them clearly of his faith and hope in the resurrection. We were able to make a good witness at the funeral to over 30 people. Our thoughts and ongoing commitment are with his 8 year old son Daniil whom you can see in the photo [blue jacket], paying the last 'dosvidanya' ['until the next meeting']. We give thanks for our brother's witness, both in preaching and in a life well lived, which resulted in several being baptized over the years. Our work in the former USSR has again brought forth fruit to the Father's glory. Many are the graves which shall now open at the last day here, thanks to the preaching of the Gospel.
         

MALAWI
We have reported in previous Carelink messages our work at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi, where we performed several baptisms some time ago. Those brethren have preached and brought others to the Truth as a result of Bible Basics classes held in the camp. We also reported the baptism of brother Esau, a Malawian at that time working in Norway. Brother Esau returned to Malawi and spread the Truth, with the happy result that his former pastor, LEONARD, learnt the Truth and desired baptism, along with a few from his former church. Leonard has now been thrown out of that church and lost his income and home. We arranged with some local Malawian brethren to contact these seeking baptism, and this they did, making long journeys to have three separate meetings with them, resulting in the happy news of the baptisms last week of brothers LEONARD and ESHMAEL and sisters CATHERINE, NADINE, ELIZABETH and TCHISOMO. We are in awe at the way the Lord is working to co-ordinate willing preachers and workers, from northern Europe to throughout Southern Africa, in order to do His work and bring more to His Kingdom.

IRAQ
We mentioned in a previous message the need for prayer and concern for the brother we baptized in Iraq earlier this year, in view of the growing aggression towards Christians there. There's an enlightening presentation about the current situation for Christians in Iraq at http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/11/16/3067467.htm

With love from your brothers and sisters of Carelinks