Dear Family and Friends
I hope you are well and enjoying your Summer so far and surviving the heat. For those of you outside of the UK we have been experiencing a few heatwaves. Last week in London we had our “feels like” temperatures at 40C/104F! My Florida blood loves the heat BUT - our homes in the UK and most of Europe do not have air-conditioning or ceiling fans like many homes have in America, so the heat was unbearable at times. Schools closed and people were encouraged not to travel on public transportation if they could avoid it because again, most buses and trains do not have air-conditioning.
The heat also did not help in my healing process. Trying to keep a wound dry so it could heal was impossible. My wound is still healing now 4 weeks post surgery. Please pray that it completely heals without infection or complications so the next steps can begin.
This week was my first oncology appointment. I know that everyone has been praying for my gene results to come back negative – Please keep praying for that! Unfortunately though, I found out this week that the results will take quite a while to come back. For radiation to be effective it has to happen within 12 weeks after surgery and because the gene test was only taken 2 weeks ago the results will not be back within the 12 week window of radiation. This means I will go forward with radiation before having the results. They still need to do some things to prepare me for radiation, like a CT scan etc, but radiation should start in the next 3 weeks. By then my scar should be completely healed.
I am feeling better and less sore praise God! I’ve even started back at work which has been so refreshing for me!
Last week was probably my hardest week emotionally because it was our Student Leaders Camp in Marseille. France that I help organise, oversee and teach on every year. It’s one of my biggest highlights of the year. I cried a lot missing out on seeing and experiencing everything that God was doing in and through these amazing leaders. This year we had 32 leaders from 13 churches across 10 countries in Europe! Here is a picture of the group.
Over the next 3 weeks I plan on getting back into a work routine as much as possible. My church is amazing and has been so good to me giving me all the time I need to recover. Once I start radiation they will continue to be flexible if I need time off. Summertime is usually planning and strategy time for the Autumn season which I am looking forward to. There are a lot of exciting things coming up that I will share in the coming months!
Thank you so much for all of your prayers – I REALLY need them and appreciate them SO MUCH!
Blessings
Traci
Dear Family and Friends
Thank you so much for all of your messages and prayers over this past month! My surgery date is next Monday, 1 June. The surgery was originally planned at the end of June but there was a cancellation so I’m happy that this will be done rather sooner than later. I have an amazing church family here so I know that I will have all of the help that I need over the next few months.
Besides my health issues over the past month so much has happened since I returned from America.
First of all, my time with my parents was amazing. I feel like the older we get, the closer we get. My mom’s memory is still challenging but health wise she is doing great. My stepfather has had so much on his plate but he is a wonderful husband and is doing everything he can to take care of both of them. Here’s a pic of us before I left.
When I was with them, we drove together from Georgia to Alabama to attend a funeral and so that I could preach at the church that my aunt and uncle go to. Thank you Clayton Assembly of God for being such a blessing to me! Many of you have heard me share my testimony about how my aunt prayed with me to become a Christian when I was 13 years old. The beautiful lady on the left with my mum is the aunt you always hear about.
The day after I returned to London, I went straight into our Freedom Weekend where I taught on 2 sessions and helped with personal ministry throughout the weekend.
On 8 May, we celebrated Julius and Amy getting married. Amy is Wolfi & Ali’s daughter. Wolfi was dearly missed but it was a beautiful ceremony and filled with God’s presence and joy for the happy couple. Here is a picture from the wedding with my friends Margie and Dina. You have seen Dina many times over the years in pics. She has been a housemate in the past, she’s a colleague, best friend and sister rolled up in one and part of my Portuguese adopted family here in the UK. Margie is a colleague and an amazing friend who has been with me at most of my hospital appointments so far. They will both be a huge part of my recovery over the next two months.
A week ago, I spent time in Glasgow, Scotland for a conference and was part of the coaching team who was helping the students develop ministry skills after teaching sessions. Here is a pic of all of us who attended the conference and of those of us who were coaching.
Finally, I promised you a recap video of our ENC Conference in Madrid so here it is:
I’m really sad to miss our ENC Leaders’ Camp at the end of June. I have been working on preparations for the camp and will tie up loose ends this week to hand over to everyone as well as my other Europe responsibilities.
I will be taking a break from ministry over the next few months to heal and recover, I would appreciate your continued prayers. I plan on spending lots of time with Jesus and coming out of this stronger than before!
Lots of love
Traci
Hello from Tampa, Florida.
I was supposed to arrive in Tampa on Monday after spending 3.5 days in Bologna, Italy for a future church plant scout. I arrived back from Bologna on Sunday - got home to London and unpacked and repacked and then headed to the airport again on Monday for my flight to Tampa. 3 countries in 3 weeks – Spain, Italy and USA.
The flight was going well and finally after 9 hours of flying the captain started descending but the closer we got to Tampa the more we circled and finally the captain announced that due to severe thunderstorms, Tampa airport had closed and our flight was being diverted to Miami – a 5 hour drive away. We landed in Miami and they herded us into buses to make the long journey to Tampa airport. I hadn’t slept in over 24 hours and halfway into our journey our bus broke down! You couldn’t make this up! After many attempts from the mechanic and hours later we made it to Tampa and I reached my final destination at 5am Tuesday morning!
After a few hours of sleep, I now have the opportunity to reflect on our time on the ground in Bologna. It was a full and eye-opening few days.
We spent our first day praying and discerning the spiritual atmosphere of the city, then meeting with John and Janelle, who are sensing a call to Bologna.
We didn’t quite know what to expect, but it was nothing like we could have imagined.
On day one, we met with a former student who gave us a tour of the city. Walking through Bologna felt strange and at times almost claustrophobic. Beneath the history and architecture there was a heaviness that became more noticeable the longer we stayed.
As we walked from church to church, there was a strong sense of darkness, oppression and grief. One place in particular left a deep impression on us: the church of Santa Maria della Vita. Inside is a powerful sculpture by Niccolò dell’Arca called The Lamentation over the Dead Christ. The life-sized terracotta figures capture the moment after Jesus is taken down from the cross, with Nicodemus still holding the tools used to remove the nails. The grief carved into the faces of those around Jesus is incredibly vivid.
As we reflected on what we were seeing across the city, something became very noticeable. In this historically Catholic city, Christ is almost always portrayed in one of two ways: either as a fat baby in the arms of a crowned Mary, or as a dying or dead man on the cross.
The only time we saw Jesus portrayed as alive was in infrequent depictions of the Last Supper.
It helped explain something of the spiritual heaviness we were sensing. The story of Jesus stops at the cross. Meanwhile Mary is crowned as the sovereign of heaven and guardian of the city.
Day two, however, felt very different.
While Ali and Dina headed to other sites of spiritual significance in the city to pray and discern, Jenna and I explored the campus area and tried to understand how students might best be reached.
After lunch we sat down in a small square beside a student café-bar and noticed three girls heading in the same direction. Jenna approached them and asked if they spoke English. We explained that we were with a church trying to understand more about life as a student in Bologna and asked if they would mind answering a few questions.
They happily agreed, so we invited them for a coffee and a chat.
Jenna and I took turns asking questions about why they had chosen their subjects, what student life looks like in the evenings, their experiences of church, and even the superstitions students hold when trying to pass exams.
After about forty minutes of conversation, I asked if they had any questions for us.
That was the beautiful moment.
After trust had started to build, they asked about our church and when we started believing what we believe. Jenna shared her testimony first, then I shared mine, weaving key aspects of the gospel into my story. From there Jenna was able to clearly explain the gospel using the Gospel Steps framework.
For the first time in their lives, these three precious girls heard that Jesus is alive.
In a city filled with images of a baby Jesus and a dying Jesus, we had the privilege of sharing the good news of the risen Jesus.
As we were finishing up, another friend arrived, which gave a natural end to our conversation. Before leaving, we were able to give each of them a Gospel Steps card summarising what we had shared, including the fourth girl.
Please pray that the seeds planted in that conversation will begin to grow.
As I sit here in reflecting on the past week, I’m reminded again of our role in all of this.
We sow and we water, but it is God who gives the increase. 🌱
