Dear Family and Friends
In my last newsletter I told you that the first part of my sabbatical was filled with forced rest from having been ill with shingles and covid. Thank you SO MUCH for all of your prayers for my health. The last few weeks have been so much better and today I have one week left before I head back to Slough to hit the ground running.
I’ve been so blessed to have this time to rest and reflect for this next season that God has for me. To be honest with you, I’m not exactly sure what He has in store for the next while but I know that He is so faithful and I am expectant for what He wants to do in and through me – whatever and wherever that is!
I know the above paragraph might sound a little cryptic, but for those of you who are not in London and haven’t heard yet, our Senior Pastor in West Kensington, where I served for 17 years and my spiritual father here, (Wolfi Eckleben) has been diagnosed with cancer this past month. They are still doing tests now to determine the best treatment. For now, the facts are that the main source of cancer is from a melanoma and has spread to his spine, liver and right lung. Our FAITH though, is to FIGHT and believe God for a miracle. Wolfi is a key leader not only across our Every Nation Churches in Europe but Worldwide and he has had words spoken over him about health and long life before this diagnosis, so we are standing on God’s word that He is a healer and the words given to Wolfi personally. Please join us in fighting in prayer for Wolfi.
With all that said, we also feel that there will be growth during this time in all areas of our 3 congregations even during the treatment Wolfi will need. We are all open to our roles needing to be flexible during this time to step in where needed.
When I get back to Slough, I will also be looking into when I will be going to Florida to do a much needed visit for support raising and to say thank you to so many of you who have been faithfully praying and giving financially to make ministry happen here in Europe. Watch this space for dates on my next visit!
Thank you again for your love, prayers and support to reach the nations in Europe!
Loads of Love, Traci
Dear Family and Friends
Happy New Year!!! I wanted to say a quick hello as I am still on my sabbatical for one more month here in Marseille.
I pray that you had a wonderful time celebrating our Saviour’s birth with family and friends. My time here in Marseille has been filled with lots of forced rest so far. I’d really appreciate your prayers for my last month here. I say “forced rest” because in my second week here, I came down with shingles which caused severe pain on the upper left side of my body as well as a terrible rash. After a few weeks of rest and medications, the symptoms subsided in time for Christmas. I spent a lovely Christmas Eve with our Marseille church staff but unfortunately a few days later – one by one everyone tested positive for Covid. I thought that my myself and my pastor friend that I am staying with had escaped getting sick, but last weekend we also both tested positive. We have both been feeling rough this week but are slowly feeling better praise God.
Will you please pray that the rest of my time here is healthy? I really want to get everything out of this sabbatical that God wants me to. On Monday, our Every Nation Churches around the world will start a global week of fasting for this year and I’m expectant for what God has in store for me in this new season and excited about what He is going to do in this next week and the weeks to come.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and continual support to reach the nations through Europe.
Loads of Love
Traci
Dear Family and Friends
Can you believe 2021 is almost over? This past week my iPhone did an update and one of the first things that popped up after it restarted was a review of the photos I had taken throughout the year. It’s hard to believe how so much has happened in a year where we still had Covid restrictions and faced so many challenges. I couldn’t believe how many special moments happened over the past 11 months.
One of my big highlights from this year is my move to Slough. After being in our West Kensington Congregation for 17 years, it was a huge move for me emotionally and physically. I have developed so many amazing friendships and family relationships in West Ken, so saying goodbye was very difficult, BUT our Slough congregation has been so welcoming and has immediately embraced me as family in such a very short time. I’ve been preaching on Sundays, teaching at our Follow Courses, leading and mentoring youth, overseeing our Connect Groups and so much more, so it actually feels like I’ve been in Slough for years instead of months! God has done such a quick work in making me feel at home.
On the downside, at the beginning of the year our Slough congregation lost a few family members to Covid and to cancer. I also experienced a personal loss of my 'Tio' passing away in April. In many ways you could say it’s been a year of incredible highs but also a year of mourning by not only losing loved ones but also moving to Slough. It’s interesting how change can bring up so many emotions isn’t it? I love how in God’s perfect timing, that our 3 congregations all recently went through a series on Well-being. The series spoke to us about our physical bodies, our emotions, our relationships and so much more. It ministered to so many of us in every area of our lives.
I didn’t know it at the time, but this series also set me up for the next few months. Here in the UK, we have a policy that our Every Nation staff take a time of sabbatical every 7 years. My next sabbatical is actually supposed to take place in 2022, but because Slough’s current pastors will be planting a new church in Cardiff next year, we decided a few weeks ago that I should actually take my sabbatical now so I could be around to help with any transitions needed in Slough in the new year.
It was a very quick decision, but we all felt like it was God’s timing for me to take a time of rest now to get ready for all that He has for me in 2022! A perfect time to focus even more on my own well-being. So, a few days ago, I hopped on a plane to Marseille where I have been blessed to be able to stay with a friend over the next 2 months to take sabbatical.
I know the timing of my sabbatical will come as a surprise to you as much as it did for me – but I also pray that you will be excited for me as I am now, to be able to take this time to rest, have some fun and take in everything God has for me to get ready for this next season!
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and your financial support in 2021 – I could NOT have got through this year without you. You have not only been a blessing to me but to so many here in Europe and beyond as you have enabled me to do ministry here.
Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Blessings
Traci
