Dear Family and Friends
The month of February was a month of beginning new routines for me. Our Covid restrictions have continued - which I know that for those of us who live in the UK – we are so over it! In the midst of the restrictions though, I have started going into our church office once a week to try to tackle a bunch of administration that needs to be done to make our ministry more effective. This means being back on public transportation which has been a huge adjustment for me since I have not really travelled on a bus or tube since last March. Thankfully because so many people are still working from home, the hour plus journey each way has not been packed with people.
I’ve also started many new monthly meetings with our leadership team, Connect Group Leaders and our youth. On the youth front, I will be helping to build up our youth in the older age group. That starts this month so prayers appreciated!
One event that I was especially excited about being involved in this past month was sharing with the ladies at our outreach group in Cyprus. I love what God is doing there as Cypriots, Greeks, and other nations are being reached already in this small group.
I love that what I get to do here in the UK not only is being involved in a local church, but also I get to minister to people in Europe and beyond on a regular basis. You are a part of everything I do through your prayers and support and I am so grateful for you!
Lots of love,
Traci
Dear Family and Friends
I can’t believe that January has already been and gone! What a month it was! I left America in the midst of upheaval and transition and moved into my own transition of coming back to the UK with much stricter Covid rules and starting to work with my new Church at Every Nation Slough. I came back to 2 weeks in quarantine and my housemate who was still recovering from Covid.
Let me introduce to you my new Senior Pastors Greg and Suzanne Albrecht. They are both originally from South Africa and actually met here in London at one of our all night prayer meetings many years ago. I was there when the sparks flew! They started pastoring the Slough congregation shortly after it was planted just over 10 years ago.
Growing the church in Slough has had it’s challenges. It’s a place that in the past, has had a reputation of being rough and industrial, but in the last few years was voted as one of the top 25 places to work and live in. All that said, the church has grown to almost 150 adults and 75 children with nations represented from Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Poland, England , Scotland, Philippines, Japan, Sri Lanka , The Caribbean, America, Egypt, India, Nepal, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Uganda, New Zealand, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Rwanda, Thailand, Korea, Czech Republic, Burundi, Portugal and Spain. All of this growth in the church has taken place with only Greg working fulltime as Pastor (Suzanne works outside of the church) and Anna their Children’s worker on staff 2 ½ days a week, plus some amazing volunteers!
My job role to start with is to come alongside many of the different areas of ministries in the church and to help them to operate more effectively such as Kids, Youth, Connect Groups and Discipleship. Also, once the world opens up again, I will be getting missions going for Europe! Once I have found my feet, I also hope to be involved in teaching, preaching and worship. For now, building relationships with people in the church is all done by zoom and video calls on our phones which is challenging but working!
Please pray for me and our Slough congregation as we get to know each other. Also, pray for me to have wisdom on how to help the different areas of ministry and to be a blessing to those in the church.
Thank you for being a part of my team! You have no idea what a blessing you are!
Lots of love
Traci
Dear Family and Friends
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, these last two months have been the first time I have spent holidays with my family in over 15 years!
Over Christmas, my younger sister, her kids and their families surprised us by coming up to Georgia for Christmas. It was a full house and we had an unexpected white Christmas which forced everyone to stay overnight. Every room, sofa, and blow-up mattress was full!
It gave me a chance to finally meet my beautiful great niece who is almost a year old now! Here are just a few pictures from our time with a few people missing.
I was also able to spend a few hours with my "Guatemalan Family” who happened to also be gathering here in northern Georgia.
It was such a blessing to be able to spend this time with my family but I also recognise that 2020 has been a year where so many people have lost loved ones around the world due to Covid and other reasons. I am still grieving for the ones that I know who have passed away this year and I am praying for their families that God would comfort them and bring them peace during this season.
2021 will be the start of a new season of ministry for me as I begin working with our Every Nation Slough Congregation. I am excited about new building new relationships with people and seeing what God is going to do.
There is a lot of unknown in this new year as we continue to see what will happen with Covid – BUT one thing I am sure of is that GOD IS GOOD AND HE IS FAITHFUL!
I am praying for you and so thankful for you! I pray that even in the midst of uncertainty that you experience Him in an incredible way in this New Year!
Lots of love
Traci