Dear Family and Friends
I’ve been back in the UK (Slough) for a week now and I am beginning to get back into the swing of things. Thank you again for praying for my health during my sabbatical. I am feeling so much better, and I am looking forward to what God is going to do in this next season.
I want to also say thank you for your prayers for Wolfi. He is on an intense course of immunotherapy and pain management, so your continued prayers are appreciated and valued so much!
Prayer, especially at this time in the world, is so key and is our biggest weapon. As we all watch the news and hear the terrible realities of what is going on in Ukraine, our prayers are vital. Many of you know that I have done a handful of missions over the years in Ukraine, specifically in Lviv. We have seven Every Nation Churches throughout Ukraine and every one of them and their congregations are being affected right now. Many of the women and children have fled the country and many are hiding in underground shelters on a daily basis. Our church in Lviv is in the west of Ukraine and they are receiving and trying to help many of the Ukrainians who are fleeing from their homes in the east where the greatest intensity of the war is at the moment.
Over the years, I have mentored Sophia who is the daughter of our pastors in Lviv. I have walked with her off and on since she was a teenager and was just with her in November last year at our Evangelist Conference in Belgium. Here is a videoclip of her last week as the war started. This clip has also been shown on Fox news in the states. https://youtu.be/R133MLbTC0o
As I said above, we have Every Nation churches in seven Ukrainian cities. They and our church in Kraków, Poland (where I have also done missions over the years), have been preparing to take care of some of the 500,000+ refugees who are fleeing Eastern Ukraine. Please join us as we pray and give financially towards their efforts. If you are wondering how you can support the people of Ukraine financially during this time, Every Nation has set up a way to give that is helping those specifically still in Ukraine and also the refugees that are fleeing into Poland and other areas where we have churches that are helping them.
For those of you in America, you can give here: https://give.everynation.org/donate/disaster-relief-ukraine
For those of you in the UK, you can give here, and also have gift aid added onto your donation: https://everynation.churchsuite.com/events/dxgagfwg
Thank you again for your prayers and support. In the coming weeks I will begin to teach, preach and disciple new people. I look forward to sharing all that God is going to do!
Blessings
Traci
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