Finally Back in Slovenia

I can't believe we're already a month into the New Year! January seems to have flown by. I feel like I've literally been flying everywhere. As you probably know, I returned to Slovenia on 1st January and after only 2 weeks, flew back to the UK for a conference. Some of you might remember that I went to a Women in Ministry conference run by the Proclamation Trust last year. Last time I went with the Australian missionary from my church but as that family returned to Australia in the summer, this year, I went by myself.

It was a great time of fellowship and teaching but also just feeling like I understood everything that was going on around me. We were looking at Old Testament Narrative, what we can learn from it and how we can teach it to the people we work with. I learnt that a massive 52% of the Bible is narrative but people often neglect teaching it as it is seen as more difficult than the gospels or the letters for example. If we ignore it, though, that's a huge part of the Bible that we are ignoring. I learnt a lot and really appreciated talking with many women who have much wisdom to impart. I was also able to catch up with people I had met last year and talk through how things have been going both for me and for them in the past year. It was a great time of refreshment and a reminder of how big and good our God is.

During my time in the UK I also appreciated having a few days with my parents. Although I had a good time with them at Christmas, it was nice to have a more relaxed time without worrying about getting a million things done.

I arrived back in Slovenia late on Monday night and it's taken a few days to feel like I've got back into the swing and routine of my life here. As much as I had a really good time in England, I'm grateful that I can now focus fully on my work without the disruption that travel brings. Unless an emergency happens, I'm not expecting to go back to the UK again until I move back at the end of August. I will be having visits from my sisters and my parents at different times over the next few months which will be a good break from my routine but I won't be the one needing to travel!

Once again I want to thank you all for your continued support and prayers. I appreciate every single one of you. Although I am still unable to reveal my plans for the future, I will need to raise financial support both for this next year and hopefully the future. If you feel like you would be able to support me in this way please take a look at my ECM worker page: https://www.ecmi.org/en/worker-detailpage/01441085-2cdb-4671-88d5-488b3c3c7ef1. Also if any of you would like to receive my bi-monthly prayer letter, please email me at s.re.deacon@gmail.com.

Into the New Year...

Slovenia from the air

So far 2020 has been very busy, hence why I haven't written a post in a while. I had a great time in England spending time with all of my family. Thankfully I had safe journeys and all the travelling went well. As much as I enjoyed my time back in the UK, it has been good to get back into the swing of work. Last week I started a new one-to-one with a French girl who became a Christian just before Christmas. The first session was very encouraging and positive and I look forward to being able to meet with her regularly. We've started off by using the Uncover series of books. We're studying Uncover Mark and amazingly I was able to get access to a copy in French for her to use. This has added to my work load but I really enjoy it and obviously it's a really important part of my work here. Please be praying for her as she starts to tell her family and friends and shares the gospel with them too. It was also encouraging that she brought her four year old son to church with her on Sunday.

Next week I will be attending a conference for women in ministry. It is strange to be going back to the UK so soon after Christmas. I went last year and was annoyed about the timing but I felt like I benefited a lot from the teaching and fellowship with other women in a similar position to my own. This year we will be looking at Old Testament narrative and I need to prepare the basics of a Bible Study on 1 Samuel 1. I look forward to getting to grips with the passage and to thinking more about this large part of scripture.

Today has been tinged with a little bit of sadness. I've booked my flight back to the UK in August when I will be leaving Slovenia (The prices were too good to pass up). It's still 8 months away but I'm sad thinking about leaving. Things are not yet confirmed as to what I will be doing next year but obviously I will let you all know as soon as I do. Sufficed to say I'm hoping to return to Slovenia long term. The truth is, God is in control, and I plan to go where he leads me.