Duncan Heaster en Carelinks onverbiddelijke verhinderaars

Christadelphian Hall in Bath/England (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Met verdriet in het hart hebben de vele verzoeningspogingen van de Belgische Christadelphians om CBM en Carelinks gedoopten in België samen te laten komen niets uit gehaald.

Marcus Ampe en zijn Belgische confraters betreuren het dat er zo veel verdeling is tussen de verscheidene Christadelphian groepen. er bestaan wel enkele groepen die ook beweren voor eenheid te zijn, maar daar in vinden wij ook mensen terug die zich op andere plaatsen verzetten tegen een samen gaan. zo is er Duncan Heaster die het onmogelijk maakt om Carelinks leden samen te laten gaan met CBM (Christadelphian Bible Mission) leden.

Na maanden geprobeerd te hebben om de CBM leden samen te laten gaan met Carelinks leden in België heeft Carelinks zich daar ondoorgrondelijk blijven verzetten.
Ook bleken de Belgische pogingen het hoofdkantoor van CBM Groot-Britannië niet te plezieren en heeft onze linkman in Groot Britannië Chris Edwards zijn functie doen opgeven. Wij betreuren ten zeerste deze gang van zaken en kijken nu uit hoe de verdere samenwerking met CBM UK verder zal verlopen.

Erg genoeg moeten wij nu vele verzoekers voor een Nederlandse bijeenkomst in hun Vlaamse streek teleurstellen. Als zeer kleine gemeenschap hebben wij namelijk nog geen mogelijkheid gehad om regelmatige bijeenkomsten te voorzien in de provincies West-Vlaanderen, Oost-Vlaanderen, Antwerpen en de Limburg.

Het enige wat wij de geïnteresseerden kunnen voorstellen is ofwel dat zij zelf Carelinks contacteren en hun verzoeken hen in contact te brengen met een ecclesia in hun streek of met de ecclesia van Gent of Antwerpen.

Onder deze omstandigheden zouden wij echter het liefst hebben dat deze mensen moedig genoeg zouden zijn om zelf in hun streek een ontmoetingsplaats te regelen waar zij met iemand van ons samen zouden kunnen komen.

Wij zijn namelijk tot het besluit gekomen dat de weinige Broeders in Christus in het land België zelf hun eigen boontjes zullen moeten doppen en zelf zullen moeten proberen om in deze woestijn een geloofsgemeenschap op te bouwen van scratch.

Wij geloven in de Kracht van God en in de mogelijkheid dat God ook voor ons de weg zal banen wanneer de tijd rijp is. Hiervoor zullen wij dan ook het nodige geduld moeten oefenen.

Mogen wij u als lezer uitnodigen om ons ook te komen versterken en er voor toe bij te dragen dat eenieder de moed kan hebben om door te gaan en verder te proberen meerdere gemeenschappen in dit kleine land in eenheid op te richten, waar wel de broederliefde en naastenliefde zullen kunnen uitgeoefend worden?

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 2014 February 14 update:

Mijn verontschuldiging naar al diegenen die mijn blog wensen te volgen en commentaren willen zien en geven.
Deze site bleek evenneit bereikbaar te zijn voor het algemene publiek en de commentaren werden weerhouden van publieke zichtbaarheid wegens een klacht van iemand wegens ontoelaatbare teksten.
Geleive hier daarom meer over te vinden op: Certain people trying to stem freedom of speech

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For those who commented on this article and can not see their comment, I do apologise. This website was also some time off public, beyond my own wishes. Because a person and his organisation attacking me a complaint was made about this site being inappropriate. Therefore it got censored. I did also ask Google to reconsider the complaint and hope all reaction will soon be again available to the general public.

Please see also my open reaction about this dangerous situation of censorship: Certain people trying to stem freedom of speech

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  Voting may be seen as a civic right rather than a civic duty. While citizens may exercise their civil rights (free speech, marriage, etc.) they are not compelled to. Furthermore, compulsory voting may infringe other rights. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses and most Christadelphians believe that they should not participate in political events. Forcing them to vote ostensibly denies them their freedom of religious practice. In some countries with compulsory voting, Jehovah's Witnesses and others may be excused on these grounds. If however they are forced to go to the polling place, they can still use a blank or invalid vote.
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Antwerp Ecclesia

According to the latest news on Carelinks according to Duncan Heaster there is a Christadelphian ecclesia in Antwerp.

On the Carelinks website is written:

For January: "There are strong groups of Iranian brethren and contacts developing in Belgium and Scandinavia, as reported previously. This week it was our pleasure to visit again the group in Antwerp and to assist them with the baptisms of two brethren, D and D
These brethren both have wives and families, and they need our prayers in the difficult situation they are all in. Darius had been attended a church for a year but they refused to baptize him because he couldn't pay tithes. He then started searching wider for the real truth and was providentially led to us by a meeting with another Iranian brother."

For February:  "The spread of the Truth amongst the network of Iranian brethren throughout Western Europe is an amazing if largely unrecognized phenomena, and an amazing evidence that God is indeed active today amongst those often rejected and marginalized by Western society. Another brief visit was paid to the ecclesia at Antwerp, and we're pleased to report the baptism of brother A. Iranian brethren from elsewhere in Belgium travelled to be with us for this happy event and to strengthen our new brother."

It is incredible that in case there would be many Iranian Christadelphians in Belgium, they do not take any contact with other brothers and sisters in this so small country.
It is unbelievable that those baptised by Duncan Heaster in Belgium do not take any contact with us. The once I new of and contacted gave reasons why they did not want to have any contact with Christadelphians having any connection with CBM. It is really a shame and very unchristian like.

I would like to invite all those who want to call themselves Christadelphian and are staying in Belgium to contact the Christadelphian brothers from Mons and Leuven and contacting the Christadelphian Ecclesia Brussel-Leuven.

We should unite as brothers and sisters and come together, meeting regularly and forming one ecclesia together or having connections between the different ecclesiae. Not ignoring each others existence.

Iranian refugees in Belgium baptised by Carelinks

Carelinks continue to see the providential hand of God in our work, ever seeking to connect people and actively guide circumstances towards the salvation of men and women.

Carelinks providentially come into contact with some Iranians in Belgium who have had contact with the JWs, being impressed by the rejection of the trinity and teaching of the Kingdom coming on earth, but turned away by the various quirks of Watchtower doctrine in other areas.

Brother Andy Taylor of the Windermere UK ecclesia is in the midst of driving over from the UK to Latvia with a car full of literature and welfare clothing for the Riga Bible Center, and he was able to meet with Duncan in Belgium and assist with the baptism of H.
Photo: Andy with H after his baptism
    

They had a most interesting time talking with his flat mates, from Turkey and Iran, who had also been exposed to JW teaching. Andy got back on the highway to Latvia, with another 2 or 3 days driving ahead of him, sleeping in his tent on the way, and Duncan then went on with new brother H to another city to meet and baptize another Iranian, B, who converted to Christianity in Iran many years ago but for the last 12 years has been living in Belgium, reading his well marked Bible but unable to find a church which agreed with his understanding of the Gospel.

There are many other former Moslem contacts in Belgium and indeed throughout Europe that Carelinks continue in contact with, some of whom are thrilled with the simple, logical truths of the Lord Jesus Christ in contrast to what they have previously been taught.

Photos: Happy fellowship after baptism
    
We're pleased that these two brethren have found refuge in Belgium, but there are many others still in camps and on the move in unstable areas whom Carelinks seek to support.

Cleaning the minds in Naples

The last few days Naples may be back in the news because of the piles of garbage piling up. Nothing goods seems to come over the borders of Italy except that Duncan Heaster could visit a brother who runs a weekly Bible Basics class to which he gets a good attendance.

They work amongst the large African community in Naples, so in fact the message is getting out to people who have come from many parts of the world. They had a number of refugees from Libya and Algeria to visit them and they have tried to assist as best they can.The ecclesia meet three times / week and make good use of the various literature they've been sent by brother Marcus Heaster and the Christadelphian Advancement Trust. This UK registered charity mails out a huge amount of literature on the Truth each week, and without them the work of Carelinks would be much impeded.

After a lengthy period of worship and deep Bible study at the hall which the ecclesia several students decided to make the big step in to the water of cleansing.
The sisters especially emerged from the waters of baptism with such great joy and relief- they had been studying hard for a long time and had really come to this decision for baptism from a serious process of consideration:
         


You can find a video with by 2 year old Evija helping grandpa Heaster wrapping a parcel of Bible Basics and NEV NTs for Italy- May 2011

Carelinks outreach to tb hospital in Riga

Carelinks has extended their outreach to a Tuberculosis isolation hospital, run on prison camp lines, near to Riga, thanks to the initiative of one of the Christadelphian sisters in taking literature and Bibles there. This means taking food down there as they go there to give Bible lessons, leaving the lessons from Bible Basics and picking up the answers to the lessons visit by visit. We are pleased to tell you of the baptism of IVAR from this work- here he is being baptized at the Riga Bible Center:

"What is the Gospel?" in the Rai / Dhanwar language

We've just received the translation of "What is the Gospel?" in the Rai / Dhanwar language from our new brother in the mountains of Eastern Nepal whose baptism we recorded in a recent Carelink. It's online at http://www.carelinks.net/doc/gospel-dh . There is hardly any Christian literature of any sort in this language! According to one website, "Rai have neither the Bible nor the Jesus film in their language. Currently, there are no missions agencies targeting them. There are only 22 known believers among them"- from http://www.prayway.com/unreached/peoplegroups1/2040.html  . So the true Gospel is now spreading here... all so exciting!

"Wat is het Evangelie?" in de Rai / Dhanwar taal

Er is een vertaling gekomen van "Wat is het Evangelie?" in de Rai / Dhanwar taal van onze nieuwe broeder in de bergen van Oost Nepal. U kan het online vinden op http://www.carelinks.net/doc/gospel-dh .  Er is bijna geen enkele Christelijke literatuur in deze taal ! volgens een website heeft Rai geen Bijbel of geen Jezus film in hun taal. Er zijn niet bepaald missie agentschappen die hen op het oog hebben. Er zijn slechts 22 gekende gelovigen onder hen > http://www.prayway.com/unreached/peoplegroups1/2040.html  . Carelinks tracht er nu ook het Evangelie te verspreiden.

Sam Bradley's sponsored paddle for the Carelinks Winter Appeal

Carelinks is delighted to announce that Brother Sam Bradley's sponsored paddle for the Carelinks Winter Appeal went off very well.

His brother Matt accompanied him by canoe, with father Rick and others on the land. It was truly a marathon achievement to paddle such a long way and keep going a whole day. And Sam's keen to repeat it next year, God willing! You can see a report and pictures of it at www.tacomaecclesia.net/sampad.htm

The financial crisis has really bitten in many parts of Eastern Europe. In Latvia, the now bankrupt Government have reduced all public salaries by 15% from January, and many private firms have followed suite. Welfare support for pensioners and handicapped has also been affected; whilst as factories close and even food has to be imported, prices are rising. Heating and transport have almost doubled in cost. Stores and restaurants are now relatively empty compared to what they previously were, and often we hear of brethren losing their jobs as their employers bankrupt. Many of our elderly sisters are having to spend most of their pensions on heating bills and Carelinks is regularly helping out with food, clothing and utilities payments.

> http://www.carelinks.net/doc/-1671827879

Doop Julija in Centraal Rusland

Het Evangelie blijft verder verspreid worden in Rusland.
Carelinks ontvangt meerdere verzoeken per dag voor lektuur om te verspreiden over het uitgestrekte gebied. Een team van broeders en zusters verzend van Letland materiaal en gaan in correspondentie met hulp van broeders en zusters in Rusland.
In centraal Rusland is Julija, welke in shifts werkt om de branders van een bakkerij aan te houden voor een zeer laag inkomen, op zoek naar de waarheid en heeft zich door Engelstalig materiaal geworsteld met de hulp van Google vertaalprogramma.
Wij zijn blij dat zij tot het geloof is gekomen en gedoopt is.

Doop Julija in Centraal Rusland

Het Evangelie blijft verder verspreid worden in Rusland.
Carelinks ontvangt meerdere verzoeken per dag voor lektuur om te verspreiden over het uitgestrekte gebied. Een team van broeders en zusters verzend van Letland materiaal en gaan in correspondentie met hulp van broeders en zusters in Rusland.
In centraal Rusland is Julija, welke in shifts werkt om de branders van een bakkerij aan te houden voor een zeer laag inkomen, op zoek naar de waarheid en heeft zich door Engelstalig materiaal geworsteld met de hulp van Google vertaalprogramma.
Wij zijn blij dat zij tot het geloof is gekomen en gedoopt is.