Dear Family and Friends
I hope that you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! My last few days in Cyprus were spent building relationships and connecting with many people through breakfasts, lunches and dinners including a day exploring Northern Cyprus.
I also spent a day participating in a 5k walk/run for Aegean Airlines to build relationships with friends of person from our core group who works for the airlines. I flew back to the UK on 17 December hoping that I have left the small group in Cyprus with everything that need to grow in relationship with each other and with God. I will continue to support them online for now and possibly visit again later on in the year.
As we start 2023, our Every Nation Churches around the world participate in a global week of fasting and prayer. I love these weeks as we join others around the world to focus on God’s plans for this year. If you are looking for a YouVersion Bible App plan to follow, I invite you to join us HERE from 9-13 January. Our theme this year is Miracles – Let Him Be Known. I will be opening up a Series of the same title in our Slough congregation on 15 January and another sermon on 29 January which I will share in my next newsletter. For more details on our theme check out this short video - https://youtu.be/lHvaertJMfs.
I look forward to sharing with you more about plans for 2023 in my next Newsletter. I will be doing more preaching, teaching, mentoring in and outside of the UK, speaking at European Campus events, and Missions.
I will also need to move out of my flat due to the cost of living – but more on that in the months to come!
On my arrival back in the UK, I was reunited with my Portuguese family for dinner.
Thank you so much for all you are doing to reach the nations in Europe.
Loads of Love
Traci
Dear Family and Friends
Greetings from Cyprus! I hope that you had a good November and that those of you in America had a wonderful Thanksgiving and those in other parts of the world are keeping warm and enjoying the change of seasons.
In my last newsletter I gave a small report on our mission to Utrecht and since then, we have put together a small video letting you see and hear more about what happened during those 10 days.
On 4 November, I arrived in Cyprus to help with a ministry transition. Three years ago, a couple from the Philippines came to plant a church here. During those three years they faced not only a huge challenge of adjusting to different cultures but also the pandemic. They were able to build some strong friendships and have seen a few salvations. They have also been trying to start a family which unfortunately has not happened. After working with them over this past year we decided that it was time for them to go back home to not lose out on an opportunity to adopt a child.
I have been helping the small group of people that have joined them to process the change as well as setting them up to being able to continue meeting as a home group until they grow large enough to meet as a church. What’s amazing is that the group of people that are here have been slowly building relationships with non-Christians in their circles and there is such great expectation of fruitfulness in the near future! Cypriots and Greeks need a lot of time to build relationships and the consideration of changing from an Orthodox church to and Evangelical church is in many ways likes a Muslim converting to Christianity. The change in beliefs goes against culture and family in such a massive way that it can cause huge relational problems for an individual with family and friends. I have been meeting with people individually and as a group to help them adjust to the changes and setting them up for future growth.
Please continue to pray for me and the group as I have just over two more weeks to spend with them. Once I go back to the UK I will continue to support them online with whatever they might need.
Here are a few pictures from my visit so far. The first one is the farewell for the couple who was leading with many of the people they had connected with during their time here.
The second picture is of most of the core group that I am working with at the moment.
Your prayers have been so effective! On my second week here I came down with Covid again, but I only had cold like symptoms for a week and my breathing has been great. Thank you for continuing to pray for my health and for more people to join my team for finances. You are such a blessing!! Thank you again for all that you do. You are reaching the nations with me!
Loads of Love
Traci
Dear Family and Friends
I have just returned from a week’s mission with our church plant in Utrecht, Netherlands. 12 of us from London, Oslo, Dublin and Belfast, joined some of our Utrecht team on the main university campus using 3 different evangelistic tools to see which worked best with engaging students. We approached students using The God Test, Jesus at the Door, and a Mental Health Survey. By the end of the week, we had engaged with 258 students and were able to have 164 conversations that resulted in 13 salvations!
Thank you so much for praying for us. The Utrecht team on the ground was so encouraged by us coming to serve and help them start reaching the university campus. We are praying that with the contacts that were made, they will be able to start a student ministry and reach more students. They’ve already told us that with follow-up, they have 4 students interested in doing the Alpha Course with them.
Here are a few pictures from the trip that include me engaging with a few students, a group picture of our team with the core team from Utrecht and me with some of our team members.
On 4 November I will be heading to Cyprus for 6 weeks to be the interim pastor for our church plant there. I would really appreciate your prayers for wisdom on how to lead this group of people. I am trusting and expectant for growth in all areas of the ministry. Please also continue to pray for my health during my time there.
You are amazing and such a blessing!! Thank you again for all that you do! You are reaching the nations with me!
Loads of Love
Traci
